MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(Powerpoints used with this message are available for free. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #393.)
SCRIPTURES: Philippians 1:27; Ephesians 6:5-7; Colossians 3:17; Daniel 4:34-37, 6:3-28 (Most longer scripture passages are NIrV unless indicated otherwise.)
INTRO. Since tomorrow is Labor Day we’re going to consider what God expects of us when we are at work. And to point out that what we do 40+ hours every week, whether at home, in the school room, or on the job, matters to God.
I decided to begin with what the apostle Paul wrote from a prison cell to the church in Philippi. (Philippians 1:27 CEV) “Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together & that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.”
Look again at that first sentence: “Above all things, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ.”
If Paul were here today he might say it this way: “Above all else, your example must be better than what usually is seen. You must go to great lengths to work together so that people will be amazed by how you live & they will believe the good news & turn to God.”
Do you really feel that way? It is important that you do, because when you feel that your work matters to God you will have a sense of pride & purpose about your work, no matter what that work may be. You will have an inner motivation to do well.
On the other hand; if you feel that your work does not matter to God, that He is not concerned with what you do - you’ll find it much easier to make moral compromises. "Hey, it really doesn’t matter if I lie, come in late, work hard or not. It’s only a job, & they should be paying me more anyway."
At that point I went to the funeral of Jack Perdue, Misty Pollett’s father. As I looked around I saw a lot of cowboy hats, & that led me to remember another memorial service at which I saw more cowboy hats at one time in a church building than I had ever seen before.
That caused me, as Elmer Rader often says, to go down a rabbit trail & think about some of the old Zane Grey books I’ve read & some of the cowboy movies I have seen.
In some of the best of them the main character seems to be following a code so much better than many of the other characters in the story. So I looked on the internet to see if there is such a thing as a Cowboy Code. Here is what I found.
(Show Powerpoint picture of Cowboys)
ILL. “Before the American West was settled & barbed wire was introduced a “Code of the West” was the one civilizing influence that could be relied upon. In his 2004 book, Cowboy Ethics – What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West, Jim Owen made a heartfelt case for a new approach to business ethics - one that goes back to simple, timeless principles like those of the cowboy code. He also translated the unwritten Code of the West into Ten Principles to Live By.
Code of the West
1) Live each day with courage. 6) When you make a promise, keep it.
2) Take pride in your work. 7) Ride for the brand.
3) Always finish what you start. 8) Talk less and say more.
4) Do what has to be done. 9) Remember - some things aren't for sale.
5) Be tough, but fair. 10) Know where to draw the line.
To which I would add #11, in the old movies at least, the good cowboy always takes off his hat in the church building, as if to recognize that there is a higher authority, an ultimate boss before whom we all will stand.
The article went on: “It turned out that Jim’s message struck a deep chord with people from all walks of life. Cowboy Ethics has become part of our national conversation, as people across the country rediscover the cowboy code & make it their own.
“But why Cowboys? Well, Cowboys represent the best of America - courage, optimism & plain hard work. Cowboys are heroic, not just because they do a dangerous job, but also because they stand for something - the simple, basic values that lie at the heart of the cowboy way.
“Even though their way of life has changed over the last 150 years, cowboys still honor & live by their code. They are an abiding source of inspiration to do better, & be better, than we are.”
Most of us would have no problem understanding 9 of those points. But look at #7. “Ride for the brand.” To the cowboy it means to be faithful to the owner who hired you.
As someone might say, “Through thick or thin” or “Through hell or high water” you’re going to be faithful to him.
I. CHRISTIANS CONSIDER GOD TO BE THEIR ULTIMATE BOSS
From the opening pages of God’s word it is obvious that God is a worker. The very first words in the Bible are: “In the beginning, God created the heavens & the earth.”
Then the Bible goes on to tell us that he created the sky, water, land, trees, mountains, sun, moon, stars, fish, birds, animals, & finally man. None of what we see now existed, until God spoke.
Psalm 104:24 says, "Lord, you have made so many things! How wise you were when you made all of them! The earth is full of your creatures.”
Our God is a worker & we, according to Genesis 1:26-27, are created in His image. Therefore, we should be workers also. That is why God, after creating Adam put him to work.
Genesis 2:15 says, "The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden. He put him there to farm its land and take care of it."
By the way, Jesus, the Son of God was also a worker. Jesus says in John 5:17, “My Father is always doing his work. He is working right up to this day. I am working too.”
And Jesus was very busy. Listen to Mark 6:31, “Many people were coming and going. So they did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said to his apostles, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. You need to get some rest.’”
Are there any work-a-holics here? It’s an easy trap to fall into. “I need to spend one more evening at the office. One more hour before we go home. One more shift of overtime. I need to do one more load of laundry. One more phone call. One more project” & it can get to the point where we feel guilty if we relax.
Listen, when you burn the candle at both ends you are not as bright as you think you are. Yes, your work matters to God. And one reason your work matters to God is because that is where your faith really meets life.
So let’s consider what happens at many places of work today. For instance, it’s not unusual for some workers to show up late, not call in when they’re sick, or to call in sick when they’re not really sick, & to complain a lot.
Some even develop the habit of not working as hard when the boss isn’t around; using work time for personal stuff (phone calls, e-mail, surfing on the net); putting in just enough effort to get by.
ILL. In working on this message I came across these suggestions on what to say to your boss if he catches you asleep at your desk: “They told me at the blood bank that this might happen.” Or “Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won’t wear off.” Or “I wasn’t sleeping, I was praying that today would be a good day for our company.”
Well, I hope that isn’t the kind of environment in which you’re working. But I’m afraid some of what I have mentioned goes on at many workplaces.
So now let’s turn to the 5th & 6th chapters of Paul’s letter to the Christians at Ephesus. He begins chapter 5 with these words, “You are the children that God dearly loves. So follow His example. Lead a life of love just as Christ did.”
Then he goes on to give advice to the Christians who will be reading his letter: to the congregation as a whole; then to wives; to husbands; to children; to fathers; to slaves; & finally to masters.
Now when we’re at work, we’re not slaves, although some may say they feel that way (which is not a good attitude to begin with). But let’s listen to the apostle Paul’s advice concerning a slave-master relationship. I believe the basic principles apply to the employee-employer & student-teacher relationships today as well.
(Eph. 6:5-7) “Slaves, obey your masters here on earth. Respect them and honor them with a heart that is true. Obey them just as you would obey Christ.
“Don’t obey them only to please them when they are watching. Do it because you are slaves of Christ. Serve yours masters with all your heart. Work as serving the Lord and not as serving people.”
Now, it may not matter to the people working with you, or even to your customers - but if anyone cares about your work performance, it is your boss.
So whatever you do (manage an office, program computers, market software, construct homes, teach in a school, work in a doctor’s office, or you are a student in a school) - you must serve sincerely & work with enthusiasm because, in reality you are working for the Lord. He’s our ‘ultimate’ boss!
II. LET’S CONSIDER DANIEL IN THE O.T.
Let’s consider Daniel in the O.T. It wasn’t the job he wanted. The environment was difficult. The location was far away from his home & from those he loved.
The people he worked with were difficult. They didn’t believe what he believed, they worshipped other Gods, lived different lives, & had different priorities.
You see, when Daniel was just a youth he was taken captive by the Babylonians. And since he was smart he was put into an intensive training program. There Daniel was determined to follow God’s commands no matter what. So Daniel excelled in that program & in everything else that he did.
With God’s help he interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams - dreams that no one else in Babylon could interpret. The king was so impressed with Daniel that he made him ruler of the province of Babylon & placed him in charge of all the wise men there.
Under King Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon, his capital city was so great that ancient writers waxed lyrical about its grandeur: A 4-horse chariot could turn around atop its high hundred-gated walls, & it had a temple tower 295 feet high.
Babylon also boasted one of the world’s 7 wonders, the famed Hanging Gardens, & according to Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, several colossal gold statues weighing many tons.
But as great a warrior & ruler as he was, Nebuchadnezzar exhibited an even greater pride. So God sent him another dream with images that terrified him. Daniel told him that his dream meant that because of his pride God had decided to make him lose his sanity for 7 years.
And during those years, (Daniel 4:25) “You will be driven away from people. You will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass just as an ox does. You will become wet with the dew of heaven…Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth.”
All that happened just as Daniel said it would. So when he recovered Nebuchadnezzar said, (Daniel 4:34 & 37) “I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. Then I praised the Most High God.
‘I gave honor and glory to the God who lives forever.”…“Everything he does is right. All his ways are fair. He is able to bring down those who live proudly.”
Some years later Daniel had to make another ‘involuntary’ career change. The Medes & Persians joined forces to conquer Babylon & when King Darius set up his new kingdom, Daniel was given a job as one of his 3 chief administrators.
Let’s pick up the story by reading Daniel 6:3-5. “Daniel did a better job than the other two leaders or any of the royal rulers. He was an unusually good and able man. So the king planned to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.
“But the other two leaders and the royal rulers heard about it. So they looked for a reason to bring charges against Daniel. They tried to find something wrong with the way he ran the government. But they weren’t able to. They couldn’t find any fault with his work.
“He could always be trusted. He never did anything wrong. And he always did what he was supposed to. Finally these men said, ‘We want to bring charges against … Daniel. But it’s almost impossible… If we find a reason, it will have to be in connection with the law of his God.’”
Well, most of you know the rest of the story. These men who were jealous of Daniel cooked up a plan which tricked King Darius into putting Daniel into a den of ferocious lions. They expected the lions to kill Daniel, but God protected him.
Daniel 6:19-23 says, “As soon as the sun began to rise, the king got up. He hurried to the lions’ den. When he got near it, he called out to Daniel. His voice was filled with great concern. … ‘Daniel! You serve the living God. You always serve him faithfully. So has he been able to save you from the lions?’
“Daniel answered, ‘Your Majesty, may you live forever! My God sent his angel. And his angel shut the mouths of the lions. They haven’t hurt me at all. That’s because I haven’t done anything wrong in God’s sight. I’ve never done anything wrong to you either, Your Majesty.’”
“The king was filled with joy. He ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. …They didn’t see any wounds on him. …Then King Darius wrote to people of all nations, …‘I order people in every part of my kingdom to respect and honor Daniel’s God. He is the living God.
‘He will live forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed. His rule will never end. He sets people free and saves them. He does miraculous signs and wonders. He does them in the heavens and on the earth. He has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.’
Iii. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF DANIEL’S FAITHFULNESS?
Not only did Daniel impress King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians & King Darius of The Medes who conquered the Babylonians, we’re told that he, as a very old man, also served well the Persian King, King Cyrus who absorbed the Medes into the Persian Empire.
Vs. 28 says, “So Daniel had success while Darius was King. Things went well with Daniel during the rule of Cyrus, the Persian.”
In this Atomic Age I believe we are part of the greatest chain reaction the world has ever known! One life touches another, who touches another, who touches another, & on & on.
Look at the Kings whose lives Daniel directly touched. Nebuchadezzar the Babylonian, Darius the Mede, & Cyrus the Persian.
Each one of these first saw Daniel as a slave or a former captive from a small country that was inferior to their own. He didn’t worship their gods. He didn’t share their customs. At first glance, he would have been someone to look down upon – someone to ignore.
But it wasn’t long until nearly everyone around Daniel knew he had higher standards & an absolute devotion, trust & dedication to his God that made him a trustworthy, faithful, & hard-working subject to his king.
And as a result, each of these rulers & their subjects gained a whole new perspective & respect for the God Daniel served. In fact, most of them came to acknowledge his God is a living, active God, in contrast to their gods of stone, or precious metals.
And all this happened because one man, Daniel, was determined to live the kind of life that he knew God wanted!
Now look at just a part of the chain reaction. During Daniel’s lifetime some of the Jews were no longer looked upon as inferior, & they, too began to hold important positions in the Government.
And while King Cyrus was alive, the Jews who wished to were allowed to return to their homeland. Then Esther becomes the Queen of Persia, & her cousin & guardian, Mordecai, became Prime Minister of Persia.
Another generation passes & we find Nehemiah, a cup bearer & confidant to the King of Persia, being appointed Governor of Judea with the authority & resources to rebuild the walls & city of Jerusalem.
Nearly 400 more years pass, & wise men came from the very area where Daniel had been the chief of the wise men. These wise men evidently knew what Daniel had written about the promised Messiah & when he would be coming.
So they came to worship this new born King of the Jews sent by the Most High God whom Daniel served. Truly, though long dead, Daniel’s witness for God had been living on.
Now, what will future generations say about you & me?
INVITATION
