- Employers at a Detroit office found they were having a difficult time getting the job done so they posted the following notice on the employee bulletin board
"The management regrets that it has come to their attention that workers dying on the job are failing to fall down. This practice must stop, as it becomes impossible to distinguish between death and natural movement of the staff. Any employee found dead in the upright position will henceforth be dropped from the payroll."
- 50% of our time is spent at work
- Yet we never deal with Christians on-the-job.
- Many people love the church
- And hate life
- The church isn't meant to be a drug
- Taken once a week to get by
- The church should be training you to live life
- Many find a paradox or a battle between
o Work & worship
o Mary and Martha give us a picture
o A battle between two sisters
o Many times it is the battle between the two natures that dwell inside us
o And what do we do when
o Work & worship collide (Mary & Martha argue)
- Last week I gave 3 principles
- To apply on the job
- Not just the job but life
1. Appreciation Shouldn't Be Expected
2. Atmosphere Can't Be Changed to Positive By Using Negative
3. Achievement Brings Glory to God
4. Attitude Determines Your Altitude
- Don't let your environment get in you
- A ship can sail on the water & through the water
- But if you let the water get in the ship, it will sink
- If you allow that on the outside to get on the inside you will be overtaken
- Anytime the thing you're supposed to feed, starts to feed you...
- The ship is going down
EXAMPLE: Adam & Eve
- We are in the world but not of the world
- You've got to build up not get built up.
5. Anointing is for Tough Situations
- Smooth seas don't make skilled sailors
- Anointing oil is a picture of something that has been crushed
o Spices, olives
- When I was a kid I moved around
- Different environments...
1. West Coast -- California (Hells Angels -- Biker Rodeo)
2. Lumber jacks of Washington
3. Cajuns -- Louisiana
4. City -- Chicago
5. Hillbillies - Mississippi
- I never attended a school more than a year
- That brought God's anointing...
1. To relate to many cultures
2. To be able to change in a time and culture of change
- You will become more creative and anointed in a bad situation
- The Lord is a present help in a time of trouble
- Problems are job security -- that's what I do.
- There are people who wished they had the problems you've got
- They want a challenge
- Anointed = to be empowered
- You don't need power for nothing
- Problems are job security to people who have anointing
- There is always a problem
6. Adapt to Different Personalities
- You've got to learn how to work with a multitude of personalities
o It's interesting that after God made your personality all the rest were mistakes
ƒÝ Four Personality Types:
Sanguine Personality:
* Inspirational
* Influencer
* Expressive
* Popular
* Socially oriented
* Enjoys life
* Optimistic
* Friendly
* Compassionate
* Extrovert
* Fun
* Outgoing/Outspoken
Choleric Personality:
* Determined
* Dominate
* Driven
* Power
* Goal oriented
* Strong-willed
* Practical
* Leader
* Optimistic
* Decisive
* Outspoken/Outgoing
* Organized
Phlegmatic Personality:
* Steadfast
* Steady
* Amiable
* Have friends
* Don't hurt feeling
* Huggy, huggy
* Peace
* Golden retriever
* Relationship oriented
* Witty
* Dependable
* Efficient
* Neat
* Good natured
* Practical
* Purpose driven
* Strong-willed
Melancholy Personality:
* Dreamer
* Sensitive
* Conscientious
* Compliant
* Analytic
* Perfect
* Task oriented
* Perfectionist
* Faithful friend
* Self sacrificing
* Creative -- genius
* Organized
* Artistic
* Emotional
- Or you will limit your range of success ( 25%)
- You've got to be able to have a work relationship with people in public
- That you wouldn't have in private
- If you only work with people you like / or that like you
- You will be very limited
- Fishing with a net or a hook
- Willing to have relationships in public that we might not have in private
- Enlarging your circle of love
- God will often bless you through people you don't get along with!
- Because God's blessings aren't predicated upon personalities
- Nehemiah's king didn't love God
o But because of a professional relationship
o With Nehemiah he financed God's work
- David was blessed by Saul
- Yet Saul wasn't the kind of a person you want to socialize with
- Everyone's praying the Jabez prayer
„X "enlarge my territory"
- But first you've got to enlarge your ability to get along with people
o Nice
o Mean
o Pretty
o Ugly
o Saved
o Unsaved
EXAMPLE: Tom at Roosien Masonry
- The reason some churches don't grow
- Is because they only accept one kind of personality
- They curse their source of blessing.
EXAMPLE: This is a clean train
EXAMPLE: Country song, "I Love this Bar"
Print lyrics -- pet music
- 1 word -- bar / church
- When will the church get this point!
- It's not about you and me
- It's about us and them
- Many times our success / finances / happiness / opportunities
- Are limited because you can't accept different personalities
- And are expecting to have a personal relationship
- With someone that's there to have a professional relationship with
- Get a life outside the work place
- Love your enemy!
- If David didn't learn to get along with Saul
- He would have missed his ultimate purpose and blessing
- Saul threw spears
- David ducked and kept on serving
- Eventually that spear boomeranged
- Throw rocks not spears
- Remember when you're praying, "Lord, get me out of this mess"
- Your blessing may be wrapped up in the mess
7. Advancement in the Future is Determined By How You Work Your Present
- Where you are is not your final destination
- What you have is not all you can have
- Don't live with a maintenance mindset
- Remember the man who buried his talent
EXAMPLE: Working at Stoc Pac
I hated it / and didn't make any money
It's one thing to love what you're doing
And not make as much as you could
(however, a worker is worth his hire)
- My father-in-law took a job making less
- To learn a job he was passionate about!
- Keep looking ahead
- If you're not hoping for nothing
- Then there is nothing for your faith to do
- Your faith will die if you're not hoping or going anywhere
- If your dreams aren't expandable they are expendable
- Peter only sank when he took his eye off the goal
- When he kept his eye on the goal he was able to walk on what others sank in
- Work yourself out of the job
- Because there are other things in you
- That won't come out until you give up one thing to get another
- Do something you've never done
- So you can see something you've never seen
- And get something you've never had
- And meet people you've never met
- David put up with his present because he knew his future.
8. Attain Your Goals by Polishing Your Skills
- David never complained about his environment
- He kept singing, serving, polishing his skill
- And eventually owned the Kingdom
- Some people make the job look easy
- But there has been hours of polishing...
o Jay Rising
o Gordon Anderson
o Bryan Popin
o Michael Jordan
- Someone said to me that they admire how I just get up and speak and words of wisdom just flow out
- I only wish it was that easy
„« EXPLAIN: My sermon prep time and weekly learning regiment
Mentally -- physically -- spiritually
- I want to do what you do
- How about do what I did
- Attaining goals never happens by accident
- For years David sang unto the Lord and watched after his sheep
- That was his responsibility
- When your time comes...be ready!
- Polish your skill
„« EXPLAIN: different preaching styles
9. Avoid Cliques and Clubs
- Work with everyone
- Pledge allegiance to no one
- There will always be a campaign trying to get you on their band wagon
- God wants you to be bigger than one group
- Get the labels off you
- The labels limit you
- Remember in school:
o The jocks
o The druggies
o The musicians
o The brains
- Treat everyone like a "10"
- And let no one recruit you into their exclusive club
- We pray for deliverance for a lot of things
- Maybe we should pray to be delivered from people
- People that hinder your...
...creativity
...anointing
...destiny
- David finally left Saul
- But he didn't recruit a club to go with him
- You are only seeing one dimension of your Pastor
- I am bigger than this one club
„« EXPLAIN
- David was able to worship and war
- What a contrast...
o Worship...a soft sensitive side
o War...cut your head off
- Your gift will make room for you
- The click you're in only labels one portion of who you are!
10. Always Keep Your Song Near You
- When it gets rough
- Start singing
- God inhabits the praises of His people
- My song is my antidote
- I sing because I am happy
- There's a place that trouble can't touch
- Don't wait to start singing when you're in the problem
- You never waited until you were at the club to start partying
„« EXPLAIN:
- Sing all the way to work
- When you get there you change the environment!
- The reason that the devil couldn't get to Job is because he kept praising
- You lost everything!
- My Redeemer lives!
- The enemy gets frustrated when you keep your song.
CONCLUSION:
