“A Radical Work Ethic: Grabbing or Giving”
Ephesians 4:28
REVIEW
I. Our Wealth and Worth In Christ 1-3
II. Our Worthy Walk in Christ 4-6
A. Live in Unity 4:1-16
B. Live in Newness of life 4:17-24
C. Live in Love 4:17-24
Paul will specify some things that characterize a loving community.
He addressed both some things that bind a community tougher and some that tear it apart.
1. Speak truth not falsehood 4:25
2. Be angry without sinning 4:26-27
3. Stop stealing to get but work to give 4:28
INTRODUCTION
This is not a complicated verse.
The instruction is abundantly clear.
Stop stealing from others but work hard to give to others.
From childhood we have heard instruction about stealing.
“Don’t take what doesn’t belong to you.”
Remember the embarrassment of being drug back into a store to return something you took?
It is one of the foundational commands for a healthy society.
“Thou shalt not STEAL!”
Do we really understand stealing?
“I’m a good person I don’t kill or steal.”
This morning we want to look at this sin called stealing.
We want to explore its foundation.
We want to examine its motive.
We want to see how God feels about it.
We want to discover it’s opposite.
Let the one stealing steal no longer; but rather let him continually work hard, working with his own hands what is good, so that he will always have something to share with one having need. Ephesians 4:28
In this verse we have another double-sided coin of genuine love.
Stop those actions which destroy the family.
Practice those actions which develop the family.
Immediately cease the hurtful thing – stealing to get.
Continually practice the helpful thing – working to give.
? First side of the Coin -- “Stop stealing!”
The Command
“Let the one stealing, stop stealing!”
Stealing seemed to be a problem even in the church.
It has been a problem from the time of the rebellion.
You might recognize the Greek word = klepto
Steal
To take or keep for yourself what rightfully belongs to someone else.
WE steal when we take something belonging to someone else.
We steal if we keep something intended for someone else.
The concept of stealing is addresses all through the Bible.
It was one of the Ten Commandments handed down by God to Moses.
Ten foundational commands necessary for a healthy society.
Lev 19:13 instructs not to let the “wages of a hired man remain with you all night until morning.”
Psa 62:1--12 exhorts not to “trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery. If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.”
God’s Feeling about stealing
Isa 61 “I hate robbery!”
The Bible links stealing with some pretty shady company -- Murder, adultery.
By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God. 1 Pet 4:15-16
"Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky; And also the fish of the sea disappear. Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; for your people are like those who contend with the priest." Hosea 4:1-4
Consequences of Stealing
Like all other sin, stealing brings damage to the soul.
All sin deadens and hardens the soul to righteousness.
The more it is practices the less sensitive we become to it and to truth.
In every case there is damage done to the soul every time I take or keep for myself what rightfully belongs to someone else.
Not only soul damage, but we come under the discipline of God.
"Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the LORD will plead their case, and take the life of those who rob them." Prov 22:22-23
"Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights, in order that widows may be their spoil, and that they may plunder the orphans. Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?" Isa 10:1-3
Woe to those who scheme iniquity, who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, for it is in the power of their hands. They covet fields and then seize them, and houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. Therefore, thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time." Micah 2:1-3
"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion, or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost thing which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full, and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering. Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD; and he shall be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt." Lev 6:1-7
Prov 29:24 "He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; he hears the oath but tells nothing."
There is also remedy -- Repentance, restitution, reconciliation.
Motive
In some cases the motive may be survival.
Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; 31 But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house." Prov 6:30-31
Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9
Generally the motive is much different.
The motive behind stealing comes out of a purely self-centered, self-focused soul.
Not having allowed Christ to fill the longings of the soul, we seek to fill those longings with other things.
Not everyone can rightfully acquire all the things for which the flesh longs and so we must resort to taking or keeping what rightfully belongs to someone else.
Maintaining a Christ-centered focus is so vital.
We, along with Paul, can find the secret of contentment.
Money is not the only thing we can take from others.
Besides things, we can steal glory, honor, loyalty, time.
Application
Many of you would never see yourselves a thief.
Stealing goes beyond taking for ourselves what rightfully belongs to someone else.
It includes keeping or withholding what rightfully belongs to someone else.
This is most graphically seen in relation to God.
Stealing from the offering.
From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:7-12
Failure to honor God from the first of your produce was equivalent to stealing from the offering plate as it goes by.
You are stealing from God.
You are keeping for yourself what rightfully belongs to Him.
Honestly, we have little trouble spending on ourselves what really belongs to God.
The problem is that we are self-focused and trying to fill deep longings with shallow things.
How many things in our homes were obtained by robbery?
Have we stolen from the needy, missionaries, organizations, God’s causes by hanging on to or spending on ourselves resources that God gave us to pass on to others?
When different groups in society came to John the Baptist asking what they should do to return to the Lord. (Matt 3 / Luke 3)
He told them to “bear fruit in keeping with their repentance.”
In other words let your actions validate your changed heart.
He didn’t say you actions would change your heart but your changed heart would result in changed behavior.
When applied specifically, all of his suggested change had to do with money and stuff.
Share your stuff (food and clothes)
Don’t collect more money than you are supposed to.
Don’t take money by force.
Be content with your wages.
Returning to God will most likely involve a heart change toward money.
Jesus said you can’t serve two masters.
How Much of the Lord's Time Have we Stolen?
There was a story in a Rochester, Texas church bulletin about a young man who was working in a large department store, being told by his employer that he would be required to work on Sunday. It so happened that the hours assigned to him would have prevented his attending any of the worship services to which he had been accustomed to attending since childhood.
The young man informed his employer that he would not be able to continue his work under these conditions, and his employer told him he would have to go.
A few days later, the young man answered an ad in the paper from a bank which had advertised a vacancy for a teller. In checking the young man's previous employers, the bank president contacted the department store head and inquired as to the boy's record and whether he could recommend him. The store manager replied, "Why, yes, I will be glad to recommend him. He will make you a good man. I just fired him a few days ago."
“Let the one stealing, stop stealing.”
There are two admonitions in this verse.
? The second side two of the coin -- Work to give.
This passage outlines a most radical reason for working.
He did not just tell them to work rather than steal but why they should work.
There are other Biblical reasons for work, but here is one for inner reflection.
Work to give to those in need.
The word for work is a very strong word -- strenuously labor, strive, work.
He emphasized the laborious nature of work.
Even though it may not be enjoyable – do it in order to have something to share with others.
Perhaps a reason for an unhealthy attitude toward work comes from an inadequate purpose for work.
God instituted hard work from the beginning as a strong antidote to selfishness.
Stealing is all about selfishness.
Giving is all about selflessness.
Scripture is clear that it is a high priority.
Paul both practiced it and prescribed it.
To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. 1 Cor 4:11-13
And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." Col 1:28-29
Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you. 1 Th 4:9-11
Paul gave specific instructions to those neglecting it.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." 2 Th 3:6-15
For the most part, we don’t have a problem with the principle of work as such.
The radical thing about this passage is why we are encouraged to work.
Work in order to have something to share with or give to those who have need.
Jesus said (Matt 10:8) “freely you have received, freely give.”
The nature of God is giving. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 2:35
It is also our true nature to give.
To refuse to give to others what God intended we pass on to others is stealing.
I can’t help but think of the show “hoarders”.
All the stuff they can’t possible need or use that could be used by someone who does.
Stop grabbing for yourself -- practice working to give to others.
What has God given you in the way of resources for the kingdom that you are spending on yourselves and not passing on to others?
Paul instructed the Ephesian church to work so that they would have something to share with those who had need.
Our American work ethic seems to be to work hard so you can retire early, live a life of leisure, store up treasure, feel secure and live a better life.
The early church radically practiced giving to meet needs within the body.
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:41-47
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need. And Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means, Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts 4:31-37
The word for need has a very wide usage and application.
Physical need, Legal need, total need, Spiritual need, Emotional need, Ministry need.
If your life seems dull or boring or meaningless, it may be because you have been self-focused rather than kingdom-focused.
Damage has occurred to the soul because you have been withholding what God intended to be used to meet someone else’s need.
You may need a radical reprioritization of your life.
Change from flesh driven thief to a spirit directed giver.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. And I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also; that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality-- at this present time your abundance being a supply for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want, that there may be equality; as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK. 2 Cor 8:9-15
"Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful." Titus 3:13-14
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:16-18
"Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God." 2 Cor 8:1-5
"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ABIDES FOREVER." Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God." 2 Cor 9:6-11
? Conclusion
Jesus said the whole of the law can be summed up in loving God and loving our neighbor as our self.
The badge of genuine Christianity is how we love one another.
Well, the essence of love is giving.
God so loved the world that He gave His only son.
He didn’t give one of a hundred sons.
He gave His only Son.
Jesus gave it all and became poor that we might become rich.
There is deep satisfaction when we are able to be used of God to help others.
It is what it means to truly love.
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Galatians 6:9-10
But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 1 John 3:17-18
Stop taking or withholding what rightfully belongs to someone else.
BUT RATHER
Work hard so that you may have something to share with him who has need.
Stop stealing from others but work hard to give to others.
