It's Not Just A Job, It's An Example! Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• How many of us love to get up and go to work each day? How many of us cannot wait for the next work day, we look forward to Monday as much as Saturday?

• How many of us put as much into working as we doing looking for a way to get out of working? 

• OX AND MULE ILLUSTRATION. (John Maxwell- One hour with God)

• The sign in the store window read: NO HELP WANTED. As two men passed by, one said to the other, "You should apply--you’d be great." (Principles regarding work, Decision-making and the Will of God, p. 336.)

• For many American workers today, time’s a wastin’ - literally. According to a new survey by America Online and Salary.com, the average worker admits to frittering away 2.09 hours per 8-hour workday, not including lunch and scheduled break-time. As a matter of practice, companies assume a certain amount of wasted time when determining employee pay. However, the America Online / Salary.com survey indicates that employees are wasting about twice as much time as their employers expect. Salary.com calculated that employers spend $759 billion per year on salaries for which real work was expected, but not actually performed. (www.salary.com)

• Why do we work? Is it just to make some money? When we work, how are we supposed to do it, are we called to give the minimum effort or are we to give more?

• More importantly does God have a purpose in mind for us as we spend 40-60 hours plus a week in the workplace?

• I remember during my almost 13 years at Square D Company really struggling with my attitude and effort at work.

• In the text we are going to seek answers from God’s Word today. The text speaks of the relationship between a slave and his master. The closest thing we have to this relationship today is the employer/employee relationship.

• We are going to look at four principles of the workplace that we need to understand so that we can please and glorify God in the workplace.

• Understanding these principles will help you to find a deeper meaning and purpose to work than just drawing a paycheck.

• SLIDE #2

SERMON

WORK IS A PLACE TO DISPLAY INTEGRITY. (22)

• One thing we need to realize concerning work is the fact that most of us spend 40 hours per week or more at work. Some people spend more quality time with their co-workers than they do with their own spouses and children.

• We spend a lot of time with people and we have a lot of influence over them. We can be one of the reasons they come to Jesus or turn away from Jesus.

• The workplace gives us an opportunity to practice what we believe and it is a place where we can display a level of integrity that matches our faith.

• SLIDE #3

• Look at what God’s Word tells us concerning the issue of integrity.

• READ COLOSSIANS 3:22

• That word OBEDIENCE shows back up. Slaves were told to obey their masters in all things.

• Now if we translate that to the workplace, we would be told that we are to obey our employers in ALL things. The exception comes when we are told to do something that is contrary to what God tells us to do.

• Here is where the integrity comes in.

• It is pretty easy to do what the boss wants you to do when they are watching isn’t it?

• Look again at what God Word says in verse 22.

• We are to obey not only with external service as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart.

• The Message translates this by saying: “And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best.

• When the boss is not looking, when the boss is not standing over your shoulder we are to work with a sincerity of heart.

• A sincere heart is one that is not divided in its’ loyalty. When we are at work, we are to be loyal to our employer. That is part of what we get paid to do.

• GRUMBLING EMPLOYEES

• We know that no matter what, when we are at work, we are to work with diligence.

• Why? Because we “fear” or we hold God in high reverence!

• We work hard because our God would want it that way.

• If I am a lazy untrustworthy employee, what will happen when I try to tell others about Jesus?

• When I worked in the factory, I saw that VERY thing happen. The way a person worked affected how effective they were in reaching others for Jesus.