Faith At Work Series

Video Transition: Live your life with purpose!

Series: Your Work Matters to God!

Sermon: Faith at Work

Thesis: We were created to work and it is part of God’s plan of creation, work is a place God uses us as Christians to influence our fallen world. Work is a place where we make a difference for the Kingdom of Heaven. We are created to contribute to our society for the good. Work can even be a place where we worship The Lord.

Scripture Verse:

Colossians 3:22-24: 22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Proverbs 16:3: Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Introduction:

Yes, WORK is a four-letter word, but it is not a bad thing or word, instead it is to be used by us as a way to communicate to others that God cares and wants to be involved in their lives. It is to be used by us as a way to contribute to the good of society and reveal the light of Jesus to people living in the dark.

Work according to the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that work comes with the good, the bad and the ugly. It is a gift from God and also a curse of the fall, but work even with its painful moments and disillusionment can become a place to worship God. Yes, we can worship God at work!

The distortion of work today is because of the fall as Vernon shared last week. But it is not Gods desire that we have suffer at work. The Lord can give you the right attitude if you ask Him and He is able to enable you to look at your place of work as an active place of exercising your faith and maturing in your faith.

I see 3 major distortions about work today are:

1. Sacred work vs secular work

2. Workaholism vs Slothfulness/laziness

3. A Negative attitude at work vs a positive attitude at work

Both extremes bring negative results to our life and faith. I must admit working in society always brought challenges and rewards for me but I did enjoy it. I have worked in the construction field, and as a teacher in public school.

We are going to explore the world of work, see the Lord is with us at work and learn how to put our faith into action at work

1. The battle of the mind between what’s is sacred work verses what is secular work.

a. In the 4th Century Augustine taught about the contemplative life and the active life. He defined the two this way, “The contemplative life was given to sacred things and deemed a higher calling, while the active life was given to secular things and regarded as a lower calling. This kind of teaching and thinking took root in the church world and distorted the view of work.

i. Nelson states, “Many followers of Jesus live their entire lives in the workplace under the soul suffocating distortion that their work is not as important and God honoring as the work of a pastor or missionary” (page 45).

1. The misconception is that one has a higher calling than the other.

2. Which I can personally tell you is not true or even Biblical.

ii. Share the story of how you incorporated your faith as a carpenter and as a teacher.

1. Your witness each day reading the Bible and you daily attitude.

2. Your connection with others at school and the permission given to share your faith and beliefs with them personally.

a. The importance of your daily witness is crucial because it opens the door for you to share the truth of Jesus with others.

b. I find it interesting how we buy into this mindset so quickly in Christian circles and churches today.

i. But as I think and ponder the life of Jesus, he spent 30 years of his life not doing full time ministry per-se but is known as spending that time working as a carpenter and even growing up in a carpenter’s home and being apprenticed by Joseph as a carpenter.

1. Mark 6:1-6: A Prophet Without Honor

a. 1Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.