Taking Your Faith To Work (Life Is Not Always Fair) Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Who should be the most respected and hardest workers in a company? Who should be the ones willing to do whatever job they are asked to do from their employer?

• What kind of people should employers be searching to hire in their businesses?

• The answer to the above questions is Christians!

• When working with my company too often I saw that not to be the case. Some were so focused on evangelism that they would not a good job. Some were just lazy others felt entitled to not have to put out a good effort.

• Before we go on, I want to stress something. For those still in the workforce, if you want to have any effective witness for Jesus, particularly with your employer, work for them as you would for Jesus Himself.

• In the business world, you will not reach people relationally UNTIL they respect you.

• Once you earn the respect of others, then you will be able to build relationships and effective witnessing opportunities!

• Today we are going to explore a section of text that when you give it a first glance, you may be tempted to pass over it as you read 1 Peter.

• This passage at first glance may not seem to have too much application for us living in the USA in 2010, but a deeper examination of the passage shows us this not ot be true.

• I have entitled this message, “Taking Your Faith To Work.”

• Christians are called to take their faith with them wherever they go. We are to live for Jesus at home and in the workplace.

• As we get ready to explore this passage it is important for us to know that much of the workforce during Jesus’ was the slave labor. They worked in virtually every area of the economy at the time.

• It seems as though a lot of these slaves were immersed into Christ so it was necessary for them to receive instruction on proper conduct in the workplace. They needed to know what God expected from them concerning their relationship to their master or today we would say our employers.

• Many people spend a lot of their time at work so it would be a shame to leave our faith at home for so many hours a week.

• Let us turn to 1 Peter 2:18-21 together, let’s begin in verse 18.

• SLIDE #2

• 1 Peter 2:18(ESV) 18Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.

• Verse 18 starts us off with an important observation.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. Your faith should be displayed in your attitude.

• You will notice that verse 18 properly uses the word “servants” instead of “slaves”.

• The word translated “servants” is the word used of domestic or household servants. The word denotes servants who were part of the household, who had some form of relationship with the master of the house.

• Their relationship with the master of the house made their situation much more tolerable than that of the “slaves”.

• Our passage encourages us to be “subject” to our masters (or employers).

• Not only are we to be subject to them, we are to do it with ALL respect!

• In the direct context, Peter called these servants to submit … to [their] masters, meaning that they should cooperate, be loyal, and willingly obey.

• Believers who were servants were not set free from serving their masters, but they were set free from slavery to sin. While their masters might not be Christians, that did not allow the servants to be disrespectful or lazy.

• The subjection here implies a conscience decision; it is to be voluntary and habitual.

• WE also need to realize that the word translated “master” denoted someone who had absolute authority and power of those within the household. They had total control over what went on within the household.

• This is very similar to what a boss on the job has over the employees. They generally set the rules; they are the ones who terminate the employment of one who is unsatisfactory in their performance.

• We are to submit with all respect, meaning that we are to have a healthy fear doing all we can not to incur the anger of our employers.

• When it comes to work, look at what we are told on Colossians 3:23-24.

• SLIDE #4

• Colossians 3:23-24(ESV) 23Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.