GROWING SPIRITUALLY AT WORK

Rick Warren

 

Romans 8,

Work Series. 1^st – actually worship through your work.

2^nd – work is a place for a mission, that you can witness through your work.

3^rd – work is a place for ministry, you can serve God by serving others.

This morning – work is a place for maturity.

 

40% of our time, we will spend working during your lifetime, and if we don’t learn how to integrate work into our spiritual life, 40% of our life is wasted in the area of personal development and growth.  {If you don’t go out to work at paid employment – you still work and these principles still apply!!!}

 

What is God’s goal for your development?

 

Romans 8:29 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, …. (NIV)“From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him should what?  Would you read it with me? … should become like His Son.”

 

Ephesians 4:13 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (NIV)

 

God’s goal for my life is that I will develop the character of Jesus Christ.

 

How does my job make me like Christ?

Well, there are many ways.  There are many aspects of your job that God can use to build Christ-like character in your life.  But this morning I just want to look at three (3) aspects that God uses at work to help you grow spiritually.

 

1.       God Uses Pressure At Work To teach Me Responsibility.

                   2.       God Uses People At Work To Teach Me Relationships.

                   3.       God Uses Problems At Work To Teach Me Character.

 

1. God Uses Pressure At Work To Teach Me Responsibility.

 

This first one is very important because we don’t hear much about personal responsibility today. Every job has unique pressures.  And, a certain amount of stress can be beneficial to your spiritual growth?

Have you ever had a task that you had to complete, that you didn’t feel like completing, but you did it anyway?  You were developing responsibility.

 

Responsibility is when you do the right thing whether you feel like it or not.

Ephesians 5:15  Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, )

“Live life, then with a due sense of responsibility, not as people who don’t know the meaning of life, but as those who do.” 

In our society there is a great decline of personal responsibility.  Everybody today talks about “my rights.”  Few want to talk about my responsibilities.

It’s “blame everybody else, pass the buck, it’s not my fault, it’s all your fault.”

Most psychiatrists will tell you that personal responsibility is the key to mental health–it’s a starting point.  Accepting responsibility for your own actions and behaviour is also one of the keys to spiritual growth.

We grow by being given responsibility.  It stretches us.  Any time your boss gives you responsibility, any time a parent gives responsibility to a child, we grow through it.

 

How?  Well there are many, many ways.  Let’s look at 3 or 4 ways you can develop personal responsibility through your work:

 

By keeping promises.

Psalm 15:1-4

1  LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?

2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,

….      who keeps his oath even when it hurts, (NIV)

“God blesses the one who always does what he promises, no matter how much it may cost.”

 

Today fewer and fewer people can be counted on to keep their word.  God blesses the people who keep their word.  Would you agree that people don’t keep promises today?

• Look at the divorce rate.
• Did you know that airlines deliberately overbook by 30%.  Why?  They are expecting 30% no-shows and they don’t even call to cancel.
• It’s like the contractor who underbids a job and half way through it realises he’s going to go short on it, so he figures out a way to leave the job unfinished.
• Or the teenager who gets a job at McDonald’s and stays out at a party on Friday night and on Saturday morning they’re tired so they just don’t go in.

God says, “If you say you’re going to show up, you show up!”  One of the marks of spiritual maturity is you keep your promises.  You learn to develop responsibility and you keep your word.

 

By meeting deadlines.

Proverbs 18:9 says “The one who is slack in his work is a brother to the one who destroys.”

 

What He is saying there, that if I’m lazy, I’m sabotaging the work of my boss.  I’m sabotaging his business.  That when I waste time that I’m being paid for, I’m being destructive.  By meeting demands, by getting things in on time, that develops personal responsibility because God is watching me and He says He wants me to be responsible. {If you are a boss then you are responsible NOT to make unreasonable demands!!!}

 

By working without supervision.

Ephesians 6:6-7 6 Obey them [masters] not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, (NIV)

“Don’t work hard only when your master is watching…work hard all the time, as though you were working for Christ.”

 

Now, we’ve talked about this many times.

ILLUS.: I heard this week about a customer, who said to a clerk, “I want you to do this dishonest transaction, but don’t worry, your boss is out.  He’s not going to know about it.”  The clerk was a Christian and he said, “My real boss is never out.  He always knows about it.”

 

A mark of responsibility is when you serve in spite of whether you are being supervised or not.

 

Luke 16:10-11 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (NIV)

Bible has two words for responsibility: faithfulness and stewardship.

If we’re not faithful in little, we’re not going to be faithful in much.”

2. God Uses People At Work To Teach Me Relationships.

He uses pressure to teach me responsibility, He uses people to teach me relationships.

One of the biggest problems in any office, in any work is personality problems.  “Oh, I love my job; I just can’t stand the people.  I just don’t get along with them.  And there’s conflict and we bang heads.”

Rockefeller said, “I’ll pay more for somebody who knows how to get along with others than any other skill.”

At work you have to deal with all kinds of strange, weird and wonderful people? Here’s a list here of common types of cranky co-workers.  Maybe you are one or are married to one!! {DON’T LOOK AROUND or NUDGE ANYONE!!!}

1. The Sherman Tank.  A Sherman Tank will run over you if you let them.  You know, they are pushy, they are always demanding their own way.  They use threats and intimidation very frequently.  Any of you work with a Sherman Tank?  Look at that!  Amazing.

 

2. The Megaphone.  The Megaphone, this person doesn’t know how to be quiet.  Their mouth is always in gear.  They talk to you all the time, it doesn’t matter what the topic is, if you get a Megaphone on the telephone, you’re in trouble.  Any of you work with a Megaphone?  They love to talk.

 

3. The Bubble-burster.  This person has a knack for spoiling everybody’s fun.  They see something negative in everything.  Their favourite phases are:  “It won’t work, it can’t be done, it costs too much, it’s impossible.”  Any of you work with Bubble-bursters?  You see?  Isn’t that interesting?

 

4. The Volcano.  This guy’s got a temper like Mt. St. Helen’s.  You never know when they’re going to blow up.  You always walk on eggshells.  Anybody got somebody they have to work with like that?

 

5. The Cry-baby.  These people are always getting their feelings hurt.  And they love to manipulate you by pity and guilt.  They love to get attention by whining.  Anybody work with a Cry-baby?

 

6. The Nit-picker.  The Nit-picker finds something wrong with everything.  They are an unpleaseable perfectionists.  They are hypercritical.  Anybody work with a Nit-picker?

 

7. The Space Cadet.  These people come from another planet.  I mean, it’s like, “Earth to Mars,” you know.  They live in their own world, they’re absent-minded, they make their own rules, they park where they want to park.  You can talk to them, but it doesn’t do any good.  You say, “Read my lips.”  Do any of you work with Space Cadets?

 

How am I supposed to deal with people like that?  This is a whole series of sermons BUT let’s look at one passage –

Romans 12:16-18 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

 

Here’s five practical suggestions on dealing with people at work:

 

“Work happily together.”  (LB)  Would you write out to the side of that, co-operation.  That’s the quality that God wants to teach you in dealing with other people who are difficult.  Co-operation.  Work happily together.  Then He says:

 

“Treat everyone with equal kindness.” (JB)  Would you write out to the side of that, fairness.  God wants to develop fairness in your life.  The only way He can do that is to put you around other people.

 

“Don’t become set in your own opinions.” (Ph)  That’s flexibility.  Don’t major on minors.

 

“Never pay back evil for evil.” (LB)  You know what that is?  That’s humility.  Humility is the ability to absorb a hurt and not retaliate.  Never pay back evil for evil in the office.

 

“Do all you can to live at peace with everyone.” (JB)  That’s compromise.  God wants to teach you how to compromise.  Compromise is not a dirty word.

 

Did you know that God specifically puts people around your life at work to irritate you?  Did you know that?  He does!  It’s intentional!  He puts irritating people around you, — “Heavenly sandpaper.”   And He wants to shear off your rough edges, sand them down and make you mellower, more Christ-like.  He wants to teach you how to relate.

 

1 Corinthians 16:14 summarises it all:  “Do all your work in love.”  Now, how would you rate yourself on relational skills?  Do you know how to get along with anybody?  You say, “Well, most people I can get along with.”  Do you know how to get along with everybody?  “No.”  God wants to work on you. And He’s using work-pressures to build responsibility and people to build relationships. To teach you how to relate like Jesus would.  Then comes along problems.

 

3. God Uses Problems At Work To Teach Me Character.

We all have problems at work, you think you’ve had a tough week, I thought I’d read you this claim form to an Insurance Company.

Dear Sir:  I’m responding for your request for additional information on my accident.  In block number 3 of the Insurance Accident Reporting Form, I put “poor planning” as the cause of my accident.  You said in your letter that I should explain more fully.  I trust that the following details will be sufficient.

 

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new 6-storey building.  When I completed my work, I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over.  Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them down in a barrel by using a pulley that was attached to the side of the building on the 6th floor.  Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, slung the barrel out, loaded the bricks into it, then I went back to the ground to insure a slow decent of the 500 pounds of brick.  You will note in block number 11 of the Insurance Accident Report Form that I weigh 150 pounds.  Due to my surprise of being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope!  Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building.  In the vicinity of the 3rd floor I met the barrel coming down.  This explains my fractured skull and broken collarbone.  Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid accent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were 2 knuckles deep in the pulley.  Fortunately, by this time I had regained my presence of mind and I was able to hold on tightly to the rope in spite of my pain.  At approximately the same time however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel.  Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 pounds.  I refer you again to my weight in block 11.   As you might imagine, I began a rather rapid decent down the side of the building.  In the vicinity of the 3rd floor I met the barrel coming up.  This accounts for the 2 fractured ankles and the lacerations on my legs and lower body.  The encounter with the barrel slowed me just enough to lessen my injuries when I fell on the pile of bricks.   Fortunately, only 3 vertebrate were cracked.  I’m sorry to report however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel 6 stories above me, I lost my presence of mind and I let go of the rope!   Thank you.   Joe B. Sheriden.

 

Romans 5:3-4 3 … we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

(LB), “We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials for we know they are good for us–they help us learn to be patient.  And patience develops strength of character…”

God’s much more interested in your character than He is in your comfort.

He wants us to have the character of Christ. … the fruit of the Spirit.

…  love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. … Gal 5.

How does God produce those things in my life?

LOVE – By putting some unlovely people around you.  It’s easy to love the lovely, it’s easy to love people like you.  But He put some jerks around you to teach you genuine love.

JOY  – Joy is not happiness. Happiness depends on happenings, circumstances.  God wants us to know his joy through disappointment, through failure, through discouragement, through problems, through grief.

PEACE –   To teach you real peace He puts you in an office of chaos or a home of chaos–in all kinds of problems and difficulties and stress and pressures and deadlines, teaching you inner peace.

PATIENCE – He gives you an irritating boss.  He puts you in a traffic jam going to work.  He puts in delays.

KINDNESS –   He puts some people around you that have obvious emotional needs to teach you to be kind to them.

FAITH – He puts you in situations where you have to take risks.  Where you’re tempted to doubt, where you’re tempted to withdraw, where you’re full of fear–He puts you there so you have to have faith.

GOODNESS –  He brings some ethical decisions into your life, where you have to make the right choice.  He allows you to be tempted – seduced to do the wrong thing.

GENTLENESS – He’ll allow you to be criticised.  Opportunities to forgive others who have hurt you and not retaliate.

SELF-CONTROL –  He’ll put you in a place where you have no supervision.  It depends on your discipline.  When you’re tempted to seek revenge, He’ll say, “No.  Have self-control.”

 

That’s the fruit of the Spirit.  It takes time for fruit to ripen.

ILLUS. Have you ever eaten a gassed tomato?  You know, that’s how they turn green tomatoes red–they gas them and it turns them red.  They don’t taste anything like a vine-ripened tomato.

Fruit develops slowly.  And God has to use pressure and people in your life at work for the purpose of making you like Jesus Christ.

 

Now the reality is, you need to ask, “God, what are you trying to teach me in this situation?”  When you are having problems in your work.  Sometimes problems are overwhelming to you.  What do you do when problems overwhelm you?

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. (NIV)

 

Two things you need to do when you’re overwhelmed by problems, whether at work, at home or anywhere else:

 

1^st – Turn the problem over to God through prayer.

2^nd – To join a small group of friends who can encourage you.  –  12x Paul uses “we” / “us” / “our”  Paul’s not in this alone, he had other people who encouraged him and helped him.

 

You need somebody you can sit down and pray with, talk with, share with–you need a small group.

 

That God wants to build you through your work.  That the most important thing you bring home from your work is not your paycheque!  It’s you!  How are you different?  How has it shaped you and moulded you and made you more like God?

 

PRAYER> Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Word.  Apply it in our lives, help us to use what we learn on Sunday to make a difference on Monday.  We pray this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

GROWING SPIRITUALLY AT WORK

 

God’s Goal:

That I will develop the Character of Christ.

 

HOW DOES MY JOB FIT IN?

 

1. God Uses Pressure at Work

to Teach Me Responsibility

 

• By keeping promises.                     Psalms 15:4
• By meeting deadlines  / standards       Proverbs 18:9
• By working without supervision     Ephesians 6:6-7

 

 

 

2. God Uses People at Work

to Teach Me Relationships

 

 

      Romans 12:16-18

• “Work happily together.”
• “Treat everyone with

equal kindness.” 

• “Don’t become set in your opinions.” 
• “Never pay back evil for evil.”
• “Do all you can to live at peace

with everyone.” 

• “Do all your work in love.” 

1 Corinthians 16:14

 

 

 

 

3. God uses Problems at Work

to Teach Me Character

 

Romans 5:3-4 / 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. … Galatians 5:22-23

 

 

• Take your problems to God in prayer.
• Join a small group of friends who can encourage you and pray with you.

 

MY MINISTRY IN THE MARKETPLACE

Rick Warren

 

For a believer, work is never just a job. We have talked about how work can actually be an act of worship by demonstrating the talents and gifts and abilities that God has given us. By being what He made me to be. (Whether paid or unpaid work – housewife or CEO of a large Company)

We have talked about how work can be a witness.  That you have a mission in the marketplace. God call us to be a witnesses, to be the salt and light in the world.

 

Today, MY MINISTRY IN THE MARKETPLACE.

Sometimes perception that only those in “full-time” ministry can really serve the Lord properly.  Missionaries, Pastors and Youth worker!!.

 

LOOK at this …Colossians 3:23-24 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (NIV)

 

Now how do you do that? How do you serve God in your work?

 

Jesus said [Matthew 25]  “Anything you’ve done for one of my brothers here, however humble, you’ve done for who? for me.”  “Anything you do for another person, you do for me!”

 

We serve God by serving others.  How can you use your job as a ministry.

 

I.       THE BENEFITS OF SERVING OTHERS

 

1. It makes life more meaningful.

 

Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Good works for whose benefit?   … “…long ago God planned that we should spend our lives in helping others.”  God created you for ministry. God made you to serve.

Titus 3:14 14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. (NIV)

Titus 3:14  “Have your people learn to give their time in doing good, to provide for real needs … not live useless lives.” 

You can waste your life, you can spend your life or you can invest your life.

God wants you to invest your life by serving others, and then your life is not useless.

Mark 8:35 (Living Bible), “Only those who give their lives away for My sake and the gospel will ever know what it means to truly live.”  … you lose your life to find it.  You give your life away. You don’t think less of yourself, you just think more of others!

 

2. It makes me like Christ.

Philippians 2:4-5 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (NIV)

 

And what is the attitude He had? Matthew 20:28 28 .. the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, …

 This is the opposite of what our culture generally says.  Our culture says, “Think of yourself first.  Look out for number one.”

Is it natural to think about others instead of yourself?  No, it’s not.  Our desire is to be served, not to serve.  One of the proofs that we are Christians, is we have a desire to serve other people.  That’s the way Jesus is.  And if we’re going to be like Christ, we’ve got to learn to serve.

It may be okay for an unbeliever to say, “Hey, who’s going to meet my needs? I want my right!!!

”  But the key question for a believer is, “Who’s needs can I meet?”

{Good Samaritan} – Who was neighbour to man who fell among theives??

Have we as Christians lost this by over-emphasising the spiritual??!!

Jesus said, “I didn’t come to be served, but I came to serve”  Maybe I shouldn’t call myself a Christian unless I’m willing to serve.

 

In a world that is by-and-large self seving what impact could Christians make by serving others in geniune acts of kindness!

 

3. I will be rewarded in eternity.

Matthew 25:21, Jesus says, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You’ve been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your Master’s happiness!” 

 

That’s what God wants to say to you when you get to Heaven.  But He can only say that to you if you have been faithful in service here on Earth.

Notice there are three rewards.

1^st – “Well done.”   Can you imagine anything more exciting that to get to Heaven and have God come up to you and say, “Well done! You did a good job with your life. You used your work as an act of worship, you used it as a witness, you used it as a ministry.  Well done!!”

 

2^nd – You’ll get a promotion–“I will put you in charge of many things!  You’ve been faithful in little, you’ll be faithful in much.”

God is watching us, testing our faithfulness.  We’re going to spend far more time on that side of eternity than the 60, 70, 80 we spend on this side.  And God’s watching us to see how we handle this test.

Are we faithful in serving God and serving others here?  As a plumber, shop-assistant, secretary, mother, student, neighbour, postman, nurse, cleaner, …

 

So there’s promotion, there’s affirmation and then He says there’s celebration.

3^rd – “Come share your Master’s happiness!”

Jesus says, “Let’s party!  Let’s have a good time, you’ve done a good job.”

[There I also place to celebrate and party down here!!]

When you get to Heaven, Jesus will probably come up to you and say, “You know, when I was down there on Earth, I did not go to Earth to be served, but I went to serve others.  By the way, what was your purpose while you were down there?”

When you get to Heaven, God is not going to look at your status, He’s going to look at your service.  What did you do?  What are you going to do with your life?  What are you giving your life for?  Does it matter?  Does it count?

 

Jesus said, Mark 10:43 43 .., whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.

John 12:26.  Jesus says, “My Father will honour the one who serves me.”

 

Four practical ways to serve God by serving others.

Every Christian is a minister–not a pastor, but a minister.  That means, God has called you to serve with all you life in your world – in the place that you work, in your community, in your school, in your home.

 

II.      HOW TO HAVE A MINISTRY AT WORK

 

1. Accept others unconditionally.

You minister to people when you accept people. Everybody needs acceptance. Why?  Because nobody’s perfect!   We all have faults, foibles, weaknesses, hang-ups.  We blow-it, we sin, we make mistakes, we stumble.  Nobody’s perfect!  Not even pastors! [esp. not pastors!!]

 

If you expect perfection from people, you’re just going to be frustrated and disappointed. We can’t really help people until we accept them.

NB – “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”  Romans 15:7.

 

Don’t confuse acceptance with approval.  They are two different things.  You can accept people without approving of their lifestyle.  You can love people without agreeing with sinful behaviour that they are involved in.  Jesus did it all the time.  He loved people, accepted them, without approving of things that they were doing wrong.  In fact, Jesus was called the “Friend of Sinners” because He always hung out with riffraff.  It says He hung out with the low-life, with prostitutes, and drunks and tax collectors [political collaborators!!]  He criticised the self-righteous religious types the most!!

 

Jesus accepted people without approving of things they had done wrong.  He was with the victims.  The outcasts, the lepers, the people that others didn’t want to get near.  Why?  Because He accepted people.  Now how do you do that?

 

“How in the world can I accept the people at my work?”  [not just at work – home, church ..]

 

A helpful key: “Look past the behaviour and see the hurt”.

Try to look past the obnoxious behaviour and see their hurt, because hurt people, hurt people.  People who are hurting on the inside act in hurtful ways to others.  And you have to look past the behaviour and see their hurt and then you can accept them.  {When we are hurt our natural response is to want to hurt back.}

 

Usually the people at your work who deserve it the least, the most obnoxious ones, those who deserve it the least are those who need it the most.  They need massive doses of love.

ILLUS.: Have you ever figured out why, you know, the people who always get on T.V. cameras in the street scenes are always obnoxious extremists?  They get the publicity.  Why?  Because, everybody knows inside, whether they know it consciously, that if you can’t get acceptance, you’ll get attention.  That’s true of children.  If children can’t get the acceptance of their parents then they say, “I’ll get their attention.”  And there are many negative ways for them to get your attention.

When I accept people, I minister to them.  Accept them unconditionally.

 

2. Encourage others continually.

You minister to people when you encourage them.

NB – 1 Thessalonians 5:11., “Encourage one another and build each other up…”

Now, when you go back to work tomorrow, let me tell you three facts about all the people you’re going to work with. I’m not a prophet, but I can tell you 3 facts about the people you work with.  They are:

–        Everybody is having a tough time in some way or other.

–        Everybody has a hidden hurt.

–        Everybody could use a lift.

 

Christians, of all people should have a reputation for being the encouragers at the office, at work.

 

NB – Ephesians 4:29“…speak only what is helpful for building others up accordingly to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”.

I.e. say things that build people up, not tear them down.  Things that help them, that are for their benefit according to their needs.  Appreciation.

 

ILLUS.:I heard the other day, a little boy in a restaurant–the waitress was being really nice to him and expressed some appreciation to him; he looked at his mom and said, “Wow!  She thinks I’m real!”

ILLUS.: Ad executive – greeted everyone – — new company – receptionist said “ I have been looking forward to meeting you – you are the boss who greets secretaries and receptionists!!!”

 

When we treat people in a real way when we encourage them.  AND what is interesting is that often people tend to become the way you think of them. Usually we are helped to grow more grow by  being lifted up, not by being put down.

 

3. You forgive others freely.

When people hurt you, and they will, and you respond with forgiveness, you minister to people.

Actually, there are two ways you can minister through forgiveness.

You can minister by offering forgiveness at work and you can minister by asking forgiveness when you blow it.

 

ILLUS.: Read a story about a lady who was the CEO of a large company and one day she blasted her whole staff; she was very uptight and cantankerous and she just let them have it.  She went into her office and about 5 minutes later she walked back out and called the staff back together and she said, “I’m sorry, I blew it.  I shouldn’t have said those things and I was wrong, and I need to ask the entire staff to forgive me.”  After it was over a lady came up to her and said, “Your Christianity is real.  I want you to tell me about it.”

When you blow it, you ask for forgiveness.  That’s what Jesus would say.

He’d teach you to be forgiving, to offer it [to forgive a wrong and not hold a grudge] and to ask when you have blown it and hurt someone!!.

What if you ask forgiveness and the person won’t forgive? Not much you can do – some people tend to thrive on being victims – All we can do is to keep on reaching out.

 

Colossians 3:13.  “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

“bear with others” — what does that mean?  à be patient with them, bear with them.  Patience is putting up with people you’d rather put down.

 

What’s our motive for being forgiving?  à, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  Why should I be forgiving?  Because I’ve been forgiven.  I’ll never have to forgive anybody else more than God has already forgiven me.

 

4. Helping others willingly.

Proverbs 3:27-28           27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,

when it is in your power to act. 28 Do not say to your neighbour, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow” — when you now have it with you. (NIV)

“Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it.  Never tell your neighbour to wait until tomorrow if you can help him now.” 

 

When you offer any kind of practical assistance to people at work that you are ministering to them and that you are serving God by serving others?  You have a servant’s heart?  Jesus said, “Even a cup of cold water given in my name counts.” 

 

There’s a song we used to sing [I haven’t be able to find it] – “We’re his hands, we’re his feet, we’re his ears we’re his eyes…..  You represent Jesus Christ at work.  And it’s not only an act of worship and an act of witness, but it’s a ministry when you help other people.

 

Look at: 1 Corinthians 15:58 … Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

[GN], “Nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.”

It all counts!  Offering practical assistance, helping them with a project, teaching them a new software program, helping them decorate a house, or helping them in the garden, just listening!.  It all counts.

The problem is we get so wrapped up in ourselves, we become insensitive to when other people need our help.

 

ILLUS.: A number of years ago the Salvation Army held their international conference and General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, was going to come and present a vision for the next 50 years. Well, he got sick and he couldn’t come.  So he sent telegram of the message that he wanted to deliver to all these delegates.  When they arrived, the conference was packed out, they received the telegram and a man walked to the podium to read this message that was to lay out the vision of the Salvation Army for the next 50 years.  When he opened the telegram it only had one word on it. “Others.”

 

What word dominates your life?  Me, myself and I?  Or others.  You can’t be like Jesus Christ unless you think of others.  “I didn’t come to be served, I came to serve.”

Your rewards in Heaven are going to be based on that.  Did you know that in Matthew 25 it says, “We will stand before Christ one day and Jesus will say, I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was without clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and I was in prison and you visited me.”

And we’ll say, “Lord, when did we ever do that?  And Jesus Christ will say, “When you’ve done it to the least of my brothers, you’ve done it to me.”  Now listen, Matthew 25 says that the one thing that you will be judged for at that judgement is how you treated other people.  Not how many Bible verses you memorised, not how many times you went to church, but how you treated other people.

 

There are people all around you at work who are hurting emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially.  You do not have all the answers but you have Jesus!  And you can be a minister to them by accepting them, encouraging them, forgiving them and helping them.  And earning the right to share the Good News by your actions.

 

David is one of my favourite characters in the Bible – he is so real and down-to-earth while at the same time is a godly man. Acts 13:36 says, “David served God’s purpose in his generation, then he died.”

What a great epitaph to have on your tombstone, you served God’s purpose in your generation.

There is nothing more meaningful in life than serving Christ by serving others.  There is nothing more Christ-like than serving Christ by serving others.

There is nothing more rewarding than serving Christ by serving others.  I think

 

God wants you to go back to work tomorrow with a new job description and a new title. Just say to yourself, “I am a minister of Jesus Christ in the workplace today.”  And ask yourself, “Who can I minister to, who needs my acceptance, who needs my forgiveness, who needs my encouragement, who needs my help?”  We are His hands.

 

(Prayer) “Lord, thank you for your word, help us to be like you, in Jesus Name, Amen.”

 

MY MINISTRY IN THE MARKETPLACE

 

 

I.    THE BENEFITS OF SERVING OTHERS

 

1. It makes life more meaningful.

 

      2.   It makes me ­like Christ.

 

      3.   I will be rewarded in eternity.

 

 

II.   HOW TO HAVE A MINISTRY AT WORK

 

      1.   Accept others unconditionally.

 

      2.   Encourage others continually.

 

      3.   Forgive others freely.

 

      4.   ­Help others willingly.

 

Work hard and cheerfully at all you do, just as though you were working for the Lord …. He’s the one you are really working for.  Colossians 3:23-24 (LB)

 

Jesus said “Anything you’ve done for one of my brothers here, however humble, you’ve done for me.”Matthew 25:40 (NEB)

 

Have our people learn to give their time in doing good, to provide for real needs … not live useless lives.  Titus 3:14 (GN)

 

Whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it.  Mark 3:14 (GN)

 

Look out for each other’s interests, not just for your own.  The attitude you should have is the one that Jesus Christ had.   Philippians 2:4-5 (GN)

 

Jesus said “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve …”  [Matt 20:28]  “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You’ve been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come share your Master’s happiness!”  Matt.. 25:21

 

Accept one another, .., just as Christ accepted you, Romans 15:7

 

Encourage one another … build each other up…1 Thess 5:11

 

Bear with each other and forgive … one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  Colossians 3:13

 

Whenever you possibly can do good to those who need it.  Never tell your neighbour to wait until tomorrow if you can help him now.   Proverbs 3:27-28 (GN)

MY MISSION IN THE MARKETPLACE

Rick Warren

 

(2 Corinthians 5v11-21)

 

It is talked about in business circles– from huge international conglomerates to one-man outfits. It has become a buzz-word in the business world – any organisation worth its salt has one these days. WHAT? A ‘mission statements’.

A good mission statement is useful, even necessary, to achieve purpose and direction and goals.

Having a ‘mission statement’ is only good IF it is achievable and If action is taken to work towards it.

Having a purpose and a mission maybe the latest in business buzz-words but it is far from new.

The apostle Paul was a man with a mission.  He understood that the moment you become a Christian, God gives you a new purpose for living.  The moment you become a Christian, God gives you a new mission. Acts 20:24 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (NIV)

In Acts 20:24 he says,, “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus (that’s his mission, then he tells us what it is) – the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.”  That was his mission.  And that’s your mission.  You say, “Well, what is my mission in life if I’m a Christian?

 

ILLUS.: Work for Unilever in Gulf – prayed for!! But not if in London?

Teacher in inner city – not prayed for – goes to work at TEAR fund with 172 other Christians and gets a place on the missionary board!!!!

 

I.       WHAT IS MY MISSION IN THE MARKETPLACE?

 

Acts 1:8 –  Jesus said, You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”

WITNESSING is sharing what God has done in my life, in my life.  – – because you are the authority on that.  You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to be a witness for Jesus Christ.  You just have to say, “Here’s what God has done in my life.”  And if you can say that, you can be a witness.

 

Notice – John 17:18, Jesus says “I sent them into the world just as you sent me into the world.”  We are sent into the world by Jesus Christ if you are a Christian?

What do you think of when I say the word missionary?  Some of you say cannibals.  Pith helmets, jungles, some place far away.  Did you know that the Bible says every Christian is in a broad sense a missionary. Because you have a life mission.  In a broad sense every Christian is a minister/missionary.  You don’t become a missionary by crossing the sea OR a minister by wearing a dog-collar.  God has made you to be a representative of Jesus Christ in your work.  (Cor.5 – ambassadors) You are–it’s not negotiable, it’s not optional; if you’re a Christian, you’re a witness.  Part of the joy of being a Christian is the privilege of helping other people come to know Christ.  Now why is that so important?  Well, there are two reasons.

 

II.  WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

 

1. We have a life-saving message.

That means that there are eternal consequences to what we’re sharing.  We’re talking about Heaven and hell here.  Romans 10:13-14, “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  But how shall they ask him to save them unless they believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they’ve never heard about him?  And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”  Does this make sense?  Sure!  Who does God expect to tell them?  Us, me, you, all of us!  That’s what it means.

 

ILLUS.: – story about God talking to an angel one day and God says “Here’s my plan for spreading the good news.  I’m going to have everybody go about daily their work and share the good news in their niche of society–with the people they work with.”  And the angel said, “Well, that’s great, but what happens, God, if they don’t share? What your plan B” God says, “I have no plan B.”  There is no other plan.

 

How can they be saved unless they hear and how can they hear unless somebody tells them?

 

ILLUS.: What’s the greatest thrill that you could possibly have – imagine this, if you get to Heaven and somebody comes up to you and says, “I just want to thank you–I’m here because of you.”  When you get to Heaven, will there be anybody to say that to you?  “I’m here because of you.”  There’s no greater joy than sharing Jesus Christ!

 

“Have you lost the joy in my Christian life – like when you first became a believer.”  Do you know the quickest way to get it back?  Start telling other people.

One dearest things to the heart of God is when we tell others about his Son.  Tell the Good News, and it is good news.  Look at this verse:  “…the Good News is to heal the broken-hearted and announce that captives shall be released, the blind shall see; that the downtrodden shall be freed from oppression, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him.”  Luke 4:18-19. That’s the first sermon of Jesus Christ.  It’s the very first sermon and He lists the benefits — it’s good news for hurting people.”  And He lists several different kinds of hurting people.

Do you know any people who are broken-hearted?

Do you know any people who are confused?

Is there any possible chance that there’s somebody at your workplace who is discouraged?

Do you know anybody who’s stressed out?

Tell them the Good News.  Don’t ram it down their throats / don’t be critical and arrogant and holier-than-thou.  BUT is a sensitive, sincere, simple and talk about your faith in Jesus and what he has done for you and longs to do for them. We have a life-saving message and the world’s far more ready to hear it than we’re ready to share it!

“Be a witness.”  Just say, “This is what happened to me.”

 

2. People are hungry to hear it.

Matthew 9:36-37 36 When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. (NIV)

“What pity [compassion] Jesus felt for the crowds, because their problems were so great, and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help… the harvest is so great, and the workers are so few…”  Matthew 9:36-37.

………..three things;

–        Problems were great

–        They didn’t know what to do

–        They didn’t know where to go for help

 

Do you know anybody like that?

Satan has us believe a lie. The myth is “most people aren’t interested in talking about spiritual things.”  That’s just not true.  In fact interest in spiritual matters has increased in the last 10 years, not decreased.

 

The fact is that most people believe in God – most people believe in some kind of life after death – in spite of a century and a half of evolutionary theory!!

 

That doesn’t mean they are Christians, it doesn’t mean they’ve committed their lives to Christ, it just means they believe in spiritual things in some way.

So what we’re dealing with is people called pre-Christians.  They’re not necessarily anti the gospel [they probably don’t know what it is!] they’re probably turned off the church!! {People reject a wrong image of God –

 

The media talk about God and religion, sometimes negatively, but sometimes very positively. If they talk about it how much more should Christians.

 

ILLUS.: Letter to Surrey Ad .. 20/04/2001

Now there a talking point!! “I read this letter in the Surrey Ad – what do you think about it?” THEN LISTEN – one of the most significant steps in witnessing for Christ is learning to listen! So often we have this pre-packaged message – THE GOSPEL – that we want to deliver whether or not people are ready to hear.

Then we are rejected – BUT maybe it is not so much the message of Jesus they are rejecting and my crass insensitivity to them and their situation – listen!

 

Maybe the world is far more ready to receive the Good News than we are ready to share it.  They are looking for answers.  People all around you are looking for relief, for answers and you’ve got the answer. Because Jesus said, “The problem isn’t the harvest, the problem is limited workers – with an understanding of the harvest.”

 

III.  HOW CAN I BE A WITNESS AT WORK?

Colossians 3:17 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NIV)

 

Colossians 3:17“Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus…” 

 

You are a representative of Jesus Christ–you are an ambassador in the world, if you’re a Christian, you represent Jesus in your work.  And God has placed you where you are so you can represent Him.

ILLUS.: ALL crops are not harvested the same way – a combine might be great for wheat but it is not so good for apples!!

Do we need to be sensitive to the harvest field in which God has placed us? ILLUS.: Parable of the weeds – we are placed in the world by the Son of Man!!

 

Now work takes on new meaning when you understand, “I’m here at my work – place here by God’s Son.”

We can represent Jesus Christ two ways, “Whatever you do or say.”

Doing.  Walk the walk and talk the talk, we need audio/visual Christians.  We need show and tell Christians.  We need visual Christians and verbal Christians and you’ve got to have both.  One without the other is not enough.

You say, “Well, my witness is my life.”  Even Jesus had to tell people.  You may be living a nice, moral life–they may just think you’re a Boy Scout. You got tell them why.  You need to be verbal and visual.  And one day, God is going to say, “Who’d you tell?  If it was such good news, and you’ve got your eternal salvation secured, who’d you tell?  Did you ever think of sharing with anybody?”

You say, “Well, they’re not interested.”  What do you think God will say to that!!  Now, there are three specific ways I can be a witness at work:

 

1. By the quality of my work.

Shoddy workmanship is a poor testimony.  – taxi driver – repairman – computer programmer, cleaner, teacher, plumber, whatever.  Christians are called to competence, – quality performance.

Excellence in the marketplace –  Christians ought to set the standards.

Notice this verse, “The quality of each man’s work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it.”  1 Corinthians 3:13. Do you think that only refers to ‘spiritual work’? NO!!

 

2. By my positive attitude.

Philippians 2:14-15       14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

“Do all that has to be done without complaining or arguing…and you will shine in the world like bright stars as you offer it the Word of Life.”  Philippians 2:14-15.

One of the ways to stand out in a negative, dark world, is to be positive.  When you find a positive person in a negative work environment, that makes a difference.  Paul says, don’t be a cynic, go the second mile when needed, have a proper respect for authority, be positive!

 

You may be thinking, “BUT you don’t know my work situation, it’s hard to be positive when you’re in a negative work environment like I am.”  Yes, it is.  It can be unbelievable difficult.

You might even think “Oh, I wish I could just work with all Christians.  I get so tired of working with people who are negative, and cuss and tell dirty jokes; I just wish I could work with all Christians.’  AND God is up there shaking His head saying, “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!  You missed the point!  I don’t want you working with all Christians, that defeats your mission.  I want you out there being salt and light and infiltrating the world.  I don’t want you coming over here in some little Christian ghetto, some holy huddle, I want you out there!  I want you out there sharing with those hard-core unbelievers.  Sharing the good news.”

You are the only Bible some people will ever read.

 

ILLUS.: Janet – midwife – delivery suite – doctor telling a dirty story – other staff told him to stop because Janet was there – SHE didn’t say anything!!

 

3. By telling the Good News.

Colossians 4:5 5 Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. (NIV)

Colossians 4:5, “Make the most of your chances to tell others the Good News.  Be wise in all your contacts with them.”

 

ILLUS.: Howard Hendricks  [Professor of Theology an Dallas Theological Seminary – or was?!] tells the story about a flight he was on. The man sitting in front of him was an absolute jerk.  He was just being grumpy, and irritable, and rude; and rude to the stewardess and then he got drunk and he was even ruder.  The stewardess was handling him with complete class–just poise, confidence, and she was polite and gentle and patient.  Howard Hendricks was just incredibly impressed how unflappable this stewardess was with this jerk.

After about 20 minutes of this, she went to the back, so he got up and went back to the galley to talk to her.  And he said, “You know, I’m a regular flyer on American Airlines, I’m just so impressed at how you handled that irritable, rude man.  I would like to write a letter to those in authority at American Airlines to just thank them for your great service if you’d just tell me your name.”  And she said, “Well, I thank you for that, sir, but you need to understand; I don’t work for American Airlines.”  He was kind of stumped and said, “You don’t?”  She said, “No, sir, I work for Jesus Christ–and He’s the one who helps me be patient with people.”  He said, after I picked myself up off the floor (Laughter) she started witnessing to me.  Now, until she verbalised why she did what she did; nobody would have known.  I mean, he might have just thought she’s just a nice lady.  But she had to say, “Why am I doing it?”

 

Decorator –   After he’s finished a good job, he starts to write out the bill and he hands them the bill and he says, “Now, you’ve seen my side job, let me take 5 minutes and tell you about my real work.”  Tells of his life mission as a witness for Jesus Christ.

Ophthalmologist – “Would you read the first line.”  CHART “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”

 

Don’t use your Boss’s time for spiritual work – if you are paid to teach – teach! To nurse, nurse – to cut hair then cut hair … in other words don’t use your Christian responsibility to witness as an excuse not to do your work – if you are on your own time that is different. When a carpenter I had lots of time to talk to people BUT it was my time!!

 

1 Peter 3:15 15. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

“Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you.  But do it with gentleness and respect.”  1 Peter 3:15.

Many Christians find it difficult to explain how they trusted Christ.  In fact, if you were asked to explain, could you do it?

Could you say, “Here is how to become a believer.”

 

You don’t have to carry your Bible around, in fact a big, black Bible is intimidating to a lot of people. Carry a little card around – if it will help you —

 

essentials for having salvation; there are four essentials for knowing Jesus Christ.      –          Faith

–        Grace

–        Repentance

–        Lordship

But those are words people don’t understand, so put it in non-technical terms.

 

Questions to ask–How to Establish a Spiritual Base for My Life–four questions and a prayer.  And the verses that correspond.

 

It’s a very simple tool.

If the conversation happens to come up on spiritual things, you are prepared. You could say, “You know, I ran across a little card the other day on How to Establish a Spiritual Base for My Life From My Bible, would you like to see it?”  “Well, sure.”  You pull it out and it says that the Bible evidently indicates that there are four things I need to do to establish a spiritual base for my life.  You ask the question, they give a yes or no answer, if they say yes, you go to the next question.  if they say no to any one of the questions, you simply say, “Well, if I could get you some information that would help you make that decision, would you read it?”  If they say yes, great! –Turn the conversation over to something else.  You don’t have to argue with them, just be a witness.  There’s no pressure with this.

Four things:

 

1. Am I willing to believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and showed He was God by coming back to life?

Most people have some belief in God.  “It is this Good News that saves you.  That Christ died for our sins as the scripture says He would, that He was buried and three days afterward He rose from the grave.”  It’s a fact.  Millions and millions of people celebrate that every Easter.

 

2. Am I willing to accept God’s free forgiveness for my sins?

“now God says he will accept and acquit us, declare us not guilty if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins.”  We can all be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we’ve been like.

 

3. Am I willing to accept to God’s plan for my life?

That’s a non-technical way of talking about repentance.  Switch to God’s plan for my life. “Turn from your sins and act on this glorious news, don’t let the world squeeze you in its own mould, but let God remake you so your whole attitude of mind is changed.”  Say, from here on I am choosing God’s plan for my life.  I want to live the way He made me to live.

 

4. Am I willing to express my desire for Christ to be the director of my life?

Bible says, “If you declare with your lips Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Declare with your lips, that means express Jesus is Lord.  What does Lord mean?  It means director, manager, boss, chairman of the board, He’s in charge.

 

Now that took me about 45 seconds to share the basics of how to come to know Christ.

 

5.       If they say yes to all of those, you simply say,  “Will you say this simple prayer aloud?”  “Dear Jesus, I accept what you’ve done for me and I want to begin following your plan for my life today.”   That’s it.

 

You can use this, this week.  Just keep it in your purse or your wallet or in your pocket.  Have it ready!  So that when something comes up you’ve got it ready.

 

Now there’s one more verse on the outline,  2 Timothy 1:7-8 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, …

Do you know how you get rid of the fear of talking to others about Christ?  You love them.  There is no fear in love–perfect love casts out all fear.  When you love somebody, you care enough to tell them the Good News.

 

Now let me give you a little homework assignment this week.  I want you to go home and I want to make a list of three people that you care about who are not believers and I want you to start praying for them every day.  Don’t do anything about it, don’t talk to them, nothing!  Just pray for them every day and let God act and just watch what happens.

 

 

MY MISSION IN THE MARKETPLACE

 

1. WHAT IS MY MISSION IN THE

MARKETPLACE?

 

“WITNESS”:  Sharing what God has done in

MY life.

 

Every Christian is a witness / minister.

 

II.  WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

 

1. We have a life-saving message!

 

2.  People are ready to hear it!

 

III. HOW CAN I BE A WITNESS AT WORK

 

1. By the quality of my work.

 

2.  By my positive attitude.

 

3.  By ­­­­­­telling the Good News.

 

“We are Christ’s ambassadors”

 

WORSHIPPING THROUGH MY WORK

It’s Not Just A Job – Part 1 of 4

Rick Warren

 

I.       GOD’S VIEW OF WORK:

 

Humans were designed to work … Genesis 2:15  The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (NIV)

Later God made women to work with the man (not for the man as some may think!)

 

In God’s plan work is not a punishment. It is a privilege! {The entry of sin into the world made some work into toil!!} That doesn’t mean that all work is unpleasant.

 

If you are a pupil/student, you have to work.  If you’re at home you have to work.  If you’re retired, you still have to work!  Work is much broader that paid employment – if we reduce work to purely economic terms we demean many and their valuable efforts – housewives (husbands),

 

1. God designed us with talents, gifts and interests that He wants used for His glory.

We are custom made.  There’s nobody like you in the whole world. God custom made you — and He wants you to express those gifts through work. Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

The Bible says that you are God’s workmanship.  The Greek word there is the word “poema,” from which we get the word poem.  You are God’s poem / work of art / masterpiece.  And He made you to express certain gifts, talents, abilities and interests.  That’s what work’s for.  Work is never just a job for a Christian.  It’s part of God’s plan for your life. Remember Christians are in a sense doubly made – created and re-created in Christ Jesus!!

 

2. God wants my work to be meaningful, beneficial and fulfilling.

In other words, it’s more than just to put food on the table, it’s more than just a necessary evil, work is meant for good in your life.  Many (esp. in our Western Culture) think that the goal in life is to eventually be able to have enough money so that you can do nothing.  That you work all your life until you work enough to get enough money, then you stop and you do nothing. The word retirement is not in the Bible.  Why is it so many people retire and six months later they die? We were made for meaningful, purposeful, fulfilling work.

3. God wants my work to express what He made me to be.

 

God has given each of us gifts, talents and abilities, and one day He’s going to say, “What did you do with them?”  And if you say, “Well, I spent my life at a job that didn’t use them”

ILLUS.: Remember the parable Jesus told about the Talents / gifts he gave to his servants … He condemned the One who didn’t use what he was given. I suggest that Jesus was angry with the man not because he didn’t make a profit (or possibly even if he had made a loss Jesus would have understood – although we must be careful not to speculate) I seems to me Jesus is angry because the man didn’t bother to even try.

 

4. If Christ isn’t Lord of my work, then He really isn’t Lord of my life.

 

Many Christians don’t make the connection between Sunday and Monday.  They compartmentalise their life.  They say, “Well, I’ve got a spiritual life and I’ve got a secular life.  My spiritual life involves reading the Bible, praying, going to church and I doing nice things.  That’s my spiritual life.  And that’s over in one compartment.  Then over here is my secular life.  That’s my work, my job, my career, my business decisions, my finances, my pension plan, all these things, that’s my secular life.”

 

BUT God says, “No.  That’s wrong.” All of life is spiritual.  The word secular isn’t in the Bible. God is as interested in your work as He is in your prayers. He’s interested in every area of your life.

ILLUS.: Your relationship to Christ is like marriage.  Marriage is a full time relationship, and so is your relationship with Christ.  How about if I came up to my wife and said, “Darling, I’m going to always act married when I’m at home.”

The fact is, all of life is important to God, and if you’re not a Christian at work, you’re not a Christian in the rest of your life either.

 

5. For believers, work is to be four things.

Now we’re going to go into these in detail in this series, but just let me give them to you this morning.

• Work is an act of worship.  You can actually worship through your work.  It’s never just a job, no matter what you do, it’s never just a job if you are a believer.
• Work is a witness of my faith.  It’s a witness of my relationship with God.  You say, “Well, I don’t talk to people about the Lord at work”  You’re a witness, the question is, if you are a good one or a bad one.  You are a witness.  And it is a witness of your relationship to Christ.
• Work is to be a ministry to others.
• Work is a test for eternal rewards.

II.      HOW CAN I WORSHIP GOD THROUGH MY WORK?

 

Now, we’re going to look at each of these in this series.  But briefly in the remaining time –  “How can I worship with my work?”

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. (NIV)

“Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him.  This is the true worship you should offer.”  .. the words “offer yourselves” and the words “true worship.”

 

Worship is not just something I do on Sunday.  Worship is something I do with my life.  Worship is anytime I’m expressing my love to God.  Whenever I express my love to God, I’m worshipping. Now that’s good news, because some of us can’t sing. Or preach, or teach, or whatever.  But I can use my hands and I can use my mind and I can work to the glory of God, and it’s just as important.  Now what kind of work worships God?  What is it that transforms work into worship?”

 

Three things:-

 

1. Work should express the gifts and abilities that God has given me.

 

Most of us have the freedom to choose our work. Many places don’t have the freedom to choose their work. — but we do in the UK – generally speaking.  Ideally we should choose the work that best expresses who God made us to be.

• If you are good at selling, be a salesman.
• If you are gifted at teaching, be a teacher.
• If you are good with numbers, be in engineering or accounting or computers — because God gave you that ability.
• If you are good with words, writing or speaking, then you need to be involved in something that involves writing or speaking.
• If you are gifted athletically, you’d better be an athlete.
• If you’re good at cooking, invite me over!  Because I’m good at eating!

 

On what basis should I choose a career?

On what your parents say?  No, but listen to their advice!

On what peer pressure says?  No.

On what will make me the most money?  No.  None of those are legitimate reasons for choosing a career, a vocation.

 

Romans 12:6 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. (NIV)

Does this principle apply only to “spiritual” gifts??? I think not!

What does God say, Romans 12:6, “So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us.”   Notice who gave you those gifts — God. “God has given us.”

God wants me to choose my work on the basis of my gifts.  Do you think God is pleased when He gives you gifts, abilities, interests, motivations — and He gives all these things to you and He makes you this way, and you don’t use them, do you think that pleases God?  No!  No, it doesn’t please God.

 

The fact is, when a creature does what it is meant to do, that brings glory to God.  When a bird sings, it brings glory to God.  Because birds were meant to sing.  When a flower blooms, it’s doing what a flower is supposed to do.  And when a flower does flowery things, it brings glory to God.  When a worm turns over in the ground, and does wormy things, it’s bringing glory to God.  When the tree acts like a tree, it’s being what it was created to be.  It brings glory to God.  And when you be what God wants you to be, you bring glory to God.

 

Many Christians think that God only smiles on them when they are doing “spiritual” things.  When I’m reading my Bible, when I’m praying, when I’m witnessing, then God smiles on me.  They never consider that maybe God smiles on you when you’re closing a business deal and you’re gifted to do it.  When you’re completing a project or developing a new software or creating a new song or teaching a young child or driving a bus safely for other people — God smiles on that.  Because He says, “They’re using the gifts that I gave them.”

 

ILLUS.: The movie Chariots of Fire?  And the runner in that, who’s a Christian – Eric Liddel.  And he says in one point in the movie, “God made me to run.  When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”

 

Why is it that many, even Christians, don’t feel God’s pleasure in their work?  Are they doing what they were made to do?  Is it because the church is guilty of putting too much emphasis on the spiritual?

OR is it that the world’s standards of commercialism and materialism are too influential in our decision making?

What are the world’s standards?  Find the highest paying job, the best benefits and the easiest work — whether you are gifted for it or not!  Take the promotion!  It’s more money!  That’s called materialism.  Choosing a job for prestige, for power, for money are the wrong motivations.

 

Why don’t most people feel God’s pleasure in their work?

Look at this verse, Rom 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

Romans 12:2.  “Don’t conform to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.  Then you’ll be able to know the will of God.”

 

Do you want to be able to know the will of God for your life?  If you’re a believer, I’m sure you do.  Do you want to know God’s will?  It says here how to know God’s will.  It says, Don’t conform to the standards of this world.”

 

Now that includes your job.  What are the world’s standards for jobs?  For the most part, what makes the most money, what’s the easiest to do, what gives me the most prestige? Salary is only one factor – an important one? Yes because we are responsible to provide for ourselves and our family as far as it depends on us!

 

The question is, does it use the gifts God gave me? And so the first way we turn work into worship is to say, “What did God make me to be?  What are my interests? What are my God-given abilities”

 

In an article out of John Asmith’s Reinventing the Corporation.  He says:

“The new [American] work ethic holds that work should be fulfilling and fun; and integrated as a part of whole life planning.  More and more of us believe that work should accomplish a personal or social mission.  Today, work must provide more than just a paycheck.  We want it to express ourselves and our values.  To make a difference in society and to fit harmoniously with the other priorities — family, health and spirituality.”

 

Where did he get an idea like that?  God.  It’s built into you, a desire to express what God made you to be.

The BIG BUSINESS GOSPEL in the 1980’s was more money, more power, less sleep.  But devotion to work collided with personal lives and now they’re writing a new chapter in corporate history — “How to Take a Step Down the Ladder.”

Some people with high-flying, high-paying jobs are beginning to question if it s all worth it. Some are stepping down the ladder .. (Usually they can afford to!!)

 

Choosing a career based on giftedness may mean turning down more money or promotion.  And the first step we need to take is some self-appraisal.  We need to ask yourself, “What did God make me to be?”  Notice this verse, Romans 12:3,  “…try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you.”

Romans 12:3  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (NIV)

 

God does not expect you to glorify Him with gifts you don’t have.  But He does expect you to glorify Him with gifts you do have.

 

Now this raises some questions, “What if my current job doesn’t express my gifts?”

“What about work that needs to be done but doesn’t express my gifts, but, you know, just has got to be done?”  Any housewife knows what I’m talking about.

The fact is every job, even the ones you are suited for has onerous parts to it, has distasteful, non-enjoyable, mundane parts.  Every job has parts to it that you don’t like.  But you can still worship God through it.  And I would suggest you adopt the attitude of “Well, maybe this job that I’m in right now is a phase of my life and I’m not going to be here the rest of my life–but it is where I am now, therefore I will worship God right now.”  How do you do that?  By the other two ways you transform work into worship.

 

2. By working as though I’m working for God. 

 

Colossians 3:23-24:  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord, and not for men.  Remember, the Lord will reward you… For Christ is the real Master you serve.”

No job is too small, no job is too menial, no job is too insignificant when you have the right motive and perspective for it.  “I’m doing it for God, I’m doing this job as if I’m doing it for the Lord.”

There are two characteristics of doing work for the Lord.

 

• Excellence. If I’m doing my work, not for the boss, but I’m doing it really for the Lord, first I do it with excellence.  That means I give it the best shot–I do the best I can because I’m not doing it for anybody else, I’m doing it for God’s approval.  So I do it with excellence — the best I can be. Balance with time esp. if you are a perfectionist

 

• Enthusiasm. Because I’m not just doing it for my boss, BUT for God also –therefore, I do it with a cheerful attitude. Romans 12:11 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. (NIV)

Another translation… “Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.” By working as if I’m working for the Lord.  There’s one other way you can transform your work into worship.

 

 

 

3. By having love as my number one motive for work.

 

1 Corinthians 16:14 14 Do everything in love. (NIV)

Notice 1 Corinthians 16:14 “Do all (not some) {your work} …  in love.”

1 Corinthians 13:3 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (NIV)

“If I have no love, I achieve precisely nothing.”

Any job, … {not quite any as some jobs would not be compatible with God’s will –e.g. jobs that exploit people pornographic industry etc…} any legitimate job / task whether pay or unpaid, can be turned into worship when I model Christ’s love in it, to my co-workers, my clients and my customers.

 

Mother Teresa said, “It’s not what you do so much that matters, but how much love you put into it.”

Someone said “When love and skill come together, expect a masterpiece” – John Rushcan

 

A prayer for every day this week.  When you get up to work, whether it’s at home or at school, in your garden or at an office or wherever, job site–I want you to say, “Father, today I want to worship you through my work.  I want to express my gifts, I want   to do it as if I’m doing it for You and I want to do it in love.”

 

WORSHIPPING THROUGH MY WORK

 

I.   GOD’S VIEW OF WORK:

 

1. God designed us with talents, gifts and

interests that he wants used for His glory

 

 

2. God intends our work to be

meaningful, beneficial and fulfilling

 

 

3. God wants our work to express what he

made us to be

 

4. If Christ isn’t Lord of my work, then he

isn’t really Lord of my life

 

5.   For believers, work is to be:

 

      – An act of worship

 

      – A witness of my faith

 

      – A ministry to others

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. HOW CAN I WORSHIP GOD THROUGH

MY WORK?

 

1. By using the gifts and abilities God has given me.

 

2. By working as though I’m working for

the Lord.

 

3. By having love as a primary motive for

my work.

 

 

Readings

Genesis 2:15

            15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (NIV)

 

Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

 

Romans 12:1-3

            1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual [RESONABLE] act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

            3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (NIV)

 

Proverbs 18:9

            9 One who is slack in his work

                        is brother to one who destroys. (NIV)

 

Colossians 3:23-24 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (NIV)

 

1 Corinthians 13:3 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (NIV)

 

1 Corinthians 16:14 14 Do everything in love. (NIV)

 

 

            

The Christian Work Ethic
(Ephesians 4:28)

28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labour, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.

Introduction

Few will challenge my qualifications to speak on the subject of stealing. Only this week, a friend dropped by with a present, a “slim jim.” This is a device for getting into a locked car. It is a significant improvement over the clothes hanger I have used for years. Over the years I have helped many get into their cars, after they have locked themselves out. On one occasion, I did so after the locksmith left in shame. On another, I had to ask a policeman to step aside and let me do the task.

Stealing is a major problem in our nation. Many businesses suffer economically from theft by employees. I heard of a man in New York whose car stalled in the middle of traffic. The man got out of his car and lifted the hood. As he did, another man ran up and said something like this: “You get the battery, and I’ll get the radio.”

Prisons themselves have a problem with theft. Some years ago I spoke in a prison where the number one problem in that institution was theft, not by the inmates, but by the guards. Prisons are not very successful at solving the problem of stealing, either. In a prison where I taught years ago, an inmate confided in me that he was going to give up stealing … sort of. While he was in prison, he would learn as much about theft as he could. He would be tutored by the pro’s, the best in their field, so that he became an expert in a variety of crimes. And when he got out, he planned to sell his services to less gifted thieves, as a consultant. He would engineer the crime, and they would execute it. And then he would receive a fee for his services.

This passage illustrates the dramatic change which faith in Jesus Christ should produce in an individual’s thinking and conduct. Our text is not just for thieves. It is the declaration of a Christian “work ethic” which every true believer should apply in the realm of their employment. Let us listen well to these words, seeking to understand and apply them to the glory of God, to the edification of the church, and for our own good. Stop Stealing! Let him who steals steal no longer …

There are several significant elements of this command which we must take into account. First, the Apostle Paul is speaking to Christians. He has laid down the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith in chapters 1-3. Second, in Ephesians chapter 4, Paul writes to Christians concerning that conduct which is befitting their calling (see 4:1). The commands given in verses 25-32 are addressed to true believers in Jesus Christ.

Having noted that the command of verse 28 is addressed to Christians, let us secondly recognize that Paul speaks to those who have not yet given up their practice of stealing. Paul writes in the present tense: “Let him who steals steal no longer …” He does not write in the past tense: “Let him who stole steal no longer …” Strange as it may seem, Paul believed that there were those who continued to practice their former lifestyle as thieves as Christians.

Third, it is apparent that Paul believes that the thief is not beyond the power of God and His gospel. Thieves can be saved, and Paul assumes that they have been saved. Remember that those who were crucified beside our Lord were thieves, and one of these became a believer (Luke 23:39-43). There are no sinners too lost for God to save through the shed blood of Christ:

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Fourth, Paul does not believe that salvation automatically or instantly changes a man’s thinking or conduct. I believe that in His grace God sometimes delivers sinners from specific sins at the time of their conversion. I have heard the testimony of those whose lives have been radically changed at conversion. Some, addicted to alcohol or drugs, have told of an immediate release from their addictions. This is not true of all saints. And even those whom I know who have been delivered from a specific sin would claim to have been delivered from all sin. As I understand the consistent teaching of Scripture, coming to faith in Christ does not end our struggle with sin, it commences it (see Romans 6 and 7). If every Christian were instantly delivered from sin, the command of Paul here would be meaningless.

Fifth, Paul does not believe that there is a general, once for all, life transforming event in the life of the Christian, which instantly changes him from a sinner to a sinless saint. In short, Paul does not believe in perfectionism. There are those who teach that we can have complete victory over sin in this life. They would not claim that this victory comes at the time of our salvation, but through a second, life-transforming, experience. By whatever means, they speak of a quantum leap in our spiritual life, an instant and total victory over sin. If this were so, Paul would here be calling for Christians to enter into this experience, rather than to be dealing with sins individually and specifically.

This is not to say that Paul rejects the concept of watershed changes of heart and commitment:

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:12-14).

1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).

It is to say that while we may make life-long commitments, we must also expect a life-long struggle with sin. The sins which are woven into the fabric of my nature and character will dog my heels all my life. And in those times when I think victory has come, I will find their ugly head raised once again, to deal with anew. The struggle with sin is life-long, and total victory over sin comes only when we are transformed into the likeness of our Lord in His coming kingdom.

Sixth, let us note that Paul understands the gospel and true Christian conversion to require a radically different way of thinking and behaving. There are some things that need no change—indeed, should not change—when we come to faith in Christ. For example, our station in life need not change (see 1 Corinthians 7:17-24). But our former way of thinking and behaving must be set aside:

This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:17-24).

The Many Faces of Stealing

Most of us approach the subject of stealing with a narrow mental picture of this evil. In our mind’s eye we see a man with a gun in his hand, with a mask over his face, forcibly taking the property of another. Stealing has many more forms than this. Let us seek to explore some of the many forms which stealing takes, and thus to broaden the range of practices which fall under the general label of stealing. What we will find is that the church has more thieves among its members than one might first suppose. And what we will also discover is that many forms of stealing persist in the lives of those who profess Christ as Savior. Consider the following categories of stealing.

(1) Desperation Stealing. There are those who steal out of need. It is not that such stealing is in any way justified, but it is at least understandable.

Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house (Proverbs 6:30-31).

Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, Lest I be full and deny {Thee} and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God (Proverbs 30:8-9).

(2) Thrill-seeking Stealing. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the one who steals, not out of need, but out of sheer pleasure in doing evil. The adulteress appeals to the excitement of immorality: “Stolen water is sweet; And bread {eaten} in secret is pleasant” (Proverbs 9:17). But worse yet is the thief who robs for the pleasure of causing pain an injury to another:

“My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; We shall find all {kinds} of precious wealth, We shall fill our houses with spoil; Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,” My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, For their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed blood. Indeed, it is useless to spread the net In the eyes of any bird; But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors (Proverbs 1:10-19).

(3) Deceptive Stealing. Deceptive stealing does not happen by force, but by deception.

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted {to him}, or through robbery, or {if} he has extorted from his companion, 3 or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; 4 then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost thing which he found, 5 or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full, and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day {he presents} his guilt offering (Leviticus 6:1-5).

Jacob “robbed” his brother of his birthright by deceiving his father into thinking that he was Esau. He gained possession of the birthright in a way that neither his father nor his brother would have allowed if they had been aware of what was being done (see Genesis 27). Rachel also deceived her father Laban about the family gods she stole from him (Genesis 31).

The way some people conduct their business involves theft by deceit.⁷⁶ The Bible speaks of “unjust balances,” weights which are deceptive, thus giving the customer less than he thinks he is getting. “Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD” (Proverbs 20:10; see also 11:1; 20:23; Micah 6:11). Some employees falsify their expense reports, so that they are reimburses for expenses that do not exist. Others bill several customers for the same expense.

(4) Stealing by omission or delay. Some employers steal from their employees or their creditors by delaying the payment of what they owe. This enables them to have the use of monies which are not rightfully theirs, and thus to gain by it at the expense of others. Others steal when they fail to return something lost or borrowed to its owner.

(5) Stealing from God. Men have devised numerous ways of stealing from God. Men may fail to give God all or a portion of what their offerings or sacrifices. They may offer sacrifices which are inferior, defective, or second class. An animal that wouldn’t sell at auction may well be offered up at the temple. Some are even so bold as to offer that which they have stolen:

For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense, And I will make an everlasting covenant with them (Isaiah 61:8).

11 “For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, My name {will be} great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering {that is} pure; for My name {will be} great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13 “You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery, and {what is} lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the Lord. 14 “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock, and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations” (Malachi 1:11-14).

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation {of you}! 10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows” (Malachi 3:8-10).

(6) Stealing by oppression. This kind of stealing takes place by means of the misuse of power. In its crudest form, a robber arms himself with a handgun, automatic rifle, or even a bomb, threatening to injure or kill if his demands are not met. But there are much more subtle forms of robbery, which are oppressive. The Old Testament prophets spoke out against this kind of robbery:

O house of David, thus says the Lord: “Administer justice every morning; And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor, That My wrath may not go forth like fire And burn with none to extinguish it, Because of the evil of their deeds (Jeremiah 21:12).

2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. 3 ‘Thus says the Lord, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of {his} oppressor. Also do not mistreat {or} do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 “For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, {even the king} himself and his servants and his people. 5 “But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a desolation (Jeremiah 22:2-5).”’”

“The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice” (Ezekiel 22:29).

In robbery by oppression, the powerful abuse their power. Rather than using it to protect the powerless (especially the widows, orphans, and strangers), they use it to prey upon them. These oppressors prosper at the expense of the poor.

John the Baptist condemned oppressive robbery as a part of his prophetic ministry:

10 And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11 And he would answer and say to them, “Let the man who has two tunics share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise.” 12 And some tax-gatherers also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 And some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse {anyone} falsely, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:10-14).

Tax collectors had the power of government behind them. They abused this power by increasing taxes to include a healthy profit for themselves. Those who resisted or refused to pay these inflated taxes placed themselves against the government. Soldiers often abused their power to forcibly take the property of others and make it their own. Who could resist them? When one is robbed by a bandit, they can call upon the police for help, but who does one call on for help when robbed by the police?

Some of the most despicable oppressive robbery is done by religious leaders. This was condemned in the Old Testament, and in the New:

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God,” Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? 3 “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat {sheep} without feeding the flock. 4 “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 “And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill, and My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth; and there was no one to search or seek for them”’” (Ezekiel 34:2-6).

And as raiders wait for a man, So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Surely they have committed crime (Hosea 6:9).

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25).

14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation (Matthew 23:14).⁷⁷

Jesus implies that those who have come before Him were thieves, whose intention was to rob the sheep. He, on the other hand, came as the Good Shepherd, who had come to give His life for the sheep. Some of these “thieves” may have claimed to be the Messiah, but many of them may simply have been Jewish religious leaders, whose task was to shepherd the flock. The Jewish leaders abused their power. They took advantage of the foreigners who came to worship at the temple (Matthew 21:11-12) and they somehow used their position and power to acquire the houses of widows (Matthew 23:14). The very ones they were to protect they victimized. Many of the religious leaders were thieves.

(7) “Good deal” stealing. There is another kind of stealing which is but a variety of oppressive stealing. I have chosen to refer to it as a separate category because of its importance and prominence. I believe that Satan commends himself for his best work when he can persuade men to commit a sin, but in a way that gains men’s praise, rather than their disapproval.⁷⁸

No one gets more pleasure out of finding a “good deal” than I. When I find something of value, and I am able to buy it at a fraction of its true value, I pat myself on the back for having done so well. I often brag about my “great buy” to my family and friends. I have even had people say this in response to one of my bargains: “Man, you didn’t buy that; you stole it.”

I used to think this was a compliment. Now, I must consider the possibility that it is really an indictment. Did I knowingly or unknowingly gain at someone else’s expense? Did I buy something at an extremely low price because the seller was vulnerable? Did I avoid paying a fair price because I had power (money) and the other party was powerless (in desperate need)? One of the broad terms which the Bible uses as a synonym for stealing is “unjust gain.” A “just gain” is one where both parties—the buyer and the seller—gain. An unjust gain is one in which one takes advantage of the other. Let us beware that our “good buy’s” are not a “steal.”

The Christian Work Ethic

Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.

If Paul’s first command is addressed to Christian thieves, the remainder of the verse applies to everyone. It sets down a work ethic which is diametrically opposed to that of the thief, and which is the standard for every Christian. Let us consider this work ethic phrase by phrase.

“But Rather Let Him Labor”

It is self-evident that stealing is not a noble occupation, certainly not so for the Christian. Paul’s words indicate that stealing should be replaced by sweating. The inference is clearly made that stealing is the opposite of hard work. There are those who may sincerely wish to work, but cannot find it, and thereby feel “compelled” to steal. For most thieves, however, stealing is the lazy way out. Years ago I regularly visited a young man who was a three-time felon. When he talked about getting out, he told me that he would much rather break into a couple of coin operated machines than to work as a laborer for unattractive wages. Stealing for him was much easier than work.

Stealing is not just avoiding work, it is an attempt to avoid the curse. God gave Adam and Eve work to do in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:15). This work was not drudgery, but a delight. But after the fall, the curse made those things which were once a pleasure, a pain. Women were to bear children in pain (“labor” pains). And men were sentenced to a lifetime of toil:

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you shall eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).

When men seek to live off of the toil of others, they seek to overturn the consequences of the fall.

“Performing With His Own Hands What Is Good”

The expression, “with his own hands,” may well be addressing the evil of stealing, which parasitically lives off the work of others. The toil which is described is that which “works up a sweat.” It is also work which one performs with his own hands. While I do not think this verse condemns or forbids white collar “desk jobs,” I do believe that it gives dignity to blue collar work. There is nothing wrong with manual labor. In fact, it is here advocated as good therapy for thieves.

A Christian work ethic requires more than just hard work, as important as that is. It also requires a worthwhile enterprise. We are commanded to perform with our own hand “what is good.” In this context, I believe that the word “good” refers to that which is useful and beneficial. There are many jobs in this world, and most of them require hard work. But some jobs do not produce anything of value. With such useless work, the community in which we live is not benefited. We should not only feel good after a day’s work because we have worked hard, but also because we have done something worthwhile.

“In Order That He May Have Something To Share With Him Who Has Need”

There are a number of reasons for work. One reason is so that we may not become a burden to others (see 2 Thessalonians 3:8). Another is so that we may care for our family, so that they do not become a burden on others (see 1 Timothy 5:3-8, 16). Here, Paul commands us to work hard so that we will have the means to help those who are truly in need.

Here is a mindset that is foreign to the thief, but is to be a way of thinking for the Christian. The criminal mind must be put off, as a part of the old man. And in its place we must have our minds renewed, so that we think and act Christianity. The criminal mind is really no different than the fleshly mindset of the unbeliever. The criminal simply takes his self-centeredness outside the bounds of what society accepts. The corrupt mind focuses on selfish “needs” or desires. If someone else has what I want, I take it. It is not necessary to work for what you want, but only to find someone who has worked and who has what you want, and then to take it. The Christian mind thinks in exactly the opposite way. It works on the principle of grace, not greed. It works hard, setting aside resources so that it will be able to meet the needs of others. The corrupt mind uses its strength to steal from the weak; the Christian mind uses its strength to serve the weak. The corrupt mind seeks to gain at the expense of others. The Christian mind seeks the good of others, at our expense.

Conclusion

It should not come as news to us that robbery is wrong. It seeks to avoid the toil of work, and thus to overturn the curse. It forces others to sacrifice to serve our own self-interest. It is the opposite of grace, which seeks to give at our expense. And it is rebellion against the sovereignty of God in the way He has distributed material things. It is also unbelief, a failure to trust in God⁷⁹ to provide for our needs.

Our text suggests that there are far more thieves among Christians than we might wish to believe. It also indicates that conversion alone does not eradicate this sin from our lives. It is an evil which must be acknowledged and put aside. If we are to put off stealing, we are to put on hard work, producing what is good and useful, and to earn money which we can use to minister to others.

If Paul’s words teach us anything, it is that being born again is no insignificant event in the life of an individual. It is a radical change of life. It is a turning from trusting in our own righteousness to trusting only in the righteousness of Christ. In terms of our text, it is a dramatically different way of thinking and behaving. Rather than seeking to gain at the expense of others, Christians are to give at their expense. They are to willingly accept the toil of work as God’s will, and as a way of earning the means by which they can minister to the needs of others.

While our text, along with others, teaches the necessity of hard work, let us be perfectly clear that our works in no way contribute to our salvation. It is only by the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary that we are saved. It is God’s work that saves us, not our own. The gospel is the good news of salvation apart from works. It is a message of grace. And just as we are saved by grace, we are to serve God and man in a way that manifests grace. And so it is that we work so that we may give to others, freely. Once we have experienced God’s grace, we are obliged to express it to others. The gospel turns crooks into caring Christians, and takers into givers.

76 Corrupt businessmen have found many ways of stealing, and deceit is but one of many forms of business theft.

77 See also John 10:1-1.

78 For example, the Bible condemns the “sluggard.” The Book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about the sluggard, and none of it is good. The sluggard is not one who never works; he is one who works hard to avoid the “work” he dislikes. I believe that many “workaholics” are really sluggards. They immerse themselves with their work, so that they can escape their responsibilities elsewhere, such as in the home and in the church. And because they “work so hard” society (and even the church) commends them for it, without recognizing the evil behind it all.

79 Notice that robbery is misplaced trust according to this psalm: “Do not trust in oppression, And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them” (Psalm 62:10).