For more than a century, a French company has issued a series of guide books where they award stars to the best restaurants. It’s the Michelin rating system. Here’s a quick run-down of their rating system - Three stars is exceptional cuisine and worthy of a special journey. Two stars is excellent cooking, worthy of a detour. One star is a very good restaurant. And no star means you’re eating fast food with the pastor! What if the Michelin rating system were to rate Christians?
Today, I want to speak to you about being a “Five Star Disciple at Work.” How you can be a Five Star Christian at Work.
Keep your Bibles open to Ephesians 6 one more time. We conclude our yearlong study of Ephesians this morning. Keep in mind we did the section on Spiritual Warfare last fall. The Christmas series will have to wait until next week. Thank you for being a part of this church family. We looked at the relationships of parents to children (last week). And now the relationship within the workplace of master to servant, of employer or manager to a worker.
Today’s Scripture
“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him” (Ephesians 6:5-9).
How you can be a Five Star Christian at Work.
1. Why Doesn’t the Bible Condemn Slavery?
Paul turns his attention to slaves: “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ” (Ephesians 6:5).
Let’s ask an important question in the midst of rioting in our nation: Why didn’t Jesus and Paul stand up and shout, “Slavery is wrong”? Many skeptics think the Bible cannot be trusted since it doesn’t outlaw slavery.
1.1 Slaves in Ephesus
We should note that there are four verses (Ephesians 6:5-8) addressed to slaves, with only one verse (Ephesians 6:9) addressed to masters of slaves in Colossians. It’s thought that as much as 1/3 of Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus were slaves. It’s important to understand Paul is giving instructions on how slaves are to act because they were a part of the typical Roman household. Even modest households would have between 2-3 domestic slaves.
Be aware that the early church had slaves worshipping alongside everyone else (Colossians 3:11). In fact, Paul mentions a slave named Onesimus by name in Philemon. This probably reflects a higher number of slaves inside the church. The Early Church attracted slaves, children, and women in strong numbers. In fact, a pagan philosopher criticized the church as having “only foolish and low individuals, and persons devoid of perception, and slaves, and women, and children…” as converts.
Let’s ask an important question in the midst of rioting in our nation: Why didn’t Jesus and Paul stand up and shout, “Slavery is wrong”?
1.2 Roman Slavery
Americans struggle to understand slavery in the New Testament because of what was practiced in our history. Many simply read in the African slave trade movement into their New Testaments. Slavery practiced during the New Testament wasn’t the same as practiced in the South prior to the Civil War. The African Slave Trade had three factors that distinguished it from slavery in the New Testament. The African Slave Trade was 1) race-based, 2) lifelong, and 3) based on kidnapping. In your New Testament, slaves served in all kinds of capacities, from mineworkers whose life expectancy was very short to someone who could also be trusted and respected household slaves who helped run businesses and raise children. In fact, slaves in Roman days could be doctors, teachers, accountants, and sea captains.
1.3 Slavery and Race
The antebellum South forced one race of people to be slaves. But the kind of slavery practiced in the New Testament was not a “race-based” slavery. Slaves would come from all kinds of ethnic groups. Slaves were not distinguishable from anyone else by race, speech, or clothing. If I was walking around the marketplace of any Roman city, I could not have distinguished a slave by their speech, clothing, or jewelry.
1.4 How Do I Became Slave?
Nor was everyone forced into slavery. Yes, some slaves were gained if your nation was conquered and you were now forced into service. Plus, people were made slaves because there were no bankruptcy laws. If you were “head over heels” in debt, you sold your family and yourself into slavery until the debt was paid. Yet, education was greatly encouraged for a slave because this made them more valuable. Slaves could even own other slaves. Many slaves were surely treated terribly, but many others could anticipate emancipation by the age of 30. Slaves often lived normal lives and were paid the going wage, but were not allowed to quit or change employers and were in slavery an average of ten years. I don’t want to romanticize slavery in any way because it is a practice that we have happily abandoned.
Critics say, “The Bible endorses slavery,” and tell us the Bible is offensive. “[Paul’s letters] bring us into an atmosphere in which the institution of slavery could only wilt and die” (F. F. Bruce). Slavery was accepted everywhere, but it’s only Christianity that began to destabilize the underpinnings of slavery.
1.4 The New Testament Eventually Ends Slavery
Christianity accomplishes this for mainly two reasons: Every Christian is a slave of Christ. All Christians are “slaves” of Christ – Paul frequently called himself a doulos, or servant (Philippians 2:7). Your English translations are masking the word doulos because American readers see our slavery rather than Roman slavery. But the Bible calls you a slave of Christ. Slave owners and Slaves were brothers and sisters. Paul regularly told Christian slave owners that their slaves were equal to them in the sight of God and had to be treated as brothers (1 Corinthians 7:22–23). “Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him” (Ephesians 6:9).
1.5 Wilberforce and Thornton
Slavery ended because of a spiritual awakening among evangelical like-minded brothers and sisters in England. William Wilberforce, an evangelical politician and a member of the Church of England, became a relentless opponent of the slave trade. He was joined by a banker named Henry Thornton, and the two began a twenty-year effort to end slavery in England. Christians moved abolition through Parliament at the beginning of the 19th century and then eventually used British gunboats to stop the slave trade across the Atlantic. Let me say that again: the public opinion against slavery was so powerful in Great Britain that British ships were sent to patrol the seas off of West Africa. Then these men and women of Britain inspired American abolitionists here in our nation as well.
1.6 The New Testament Destroys Slavery
What resulted for those who followed the New Testament’s teaching was slavery existed in name only. Slavery was abolished if you practiced the New Testament leaving the master and slave more like an employer and employee. So, when you hear somebody say, “The Bible condones slavery,” you now say, “No, it didn’t—not the way you and I define ‘slavery.”
Now, did pastors in the South use texts such as Ephesians 6:5 to justify slavery? “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ” (Ephesians 6:5). Yes, they did, but they twisted these passages for their own purposes. We need to work diligently to put away all of our prejudices in order to love others. I am here to say we should love one another and treat one another with tremendous respect.
1.7 Sex Slavery
But, slavery isn’t over with even today. In just the past couple of years, Colleyville Police Department shut down an international sex trafficking website. Numerous underage victims were identified in advertisements, including a 13-year-old girl who was found in North Texas last year: “I’m proud of our team who, with our federal partners, relentlessly pursued this investigation for more than a year. We have made a significant impact on one of the world’s largest digital marketplaces for prostitution and sex trafficking. We know many lives will be saved through this joint effort.” (Colleyville Police Chief Michael Miller). Let’s give thanks to the men and women in blue as they acted to protect vulnerable women and children.
Millions of sex slaves are dotted all over the globe. Bring your Christianity into every arena where you are. We need to bring Christ to them and free them from their tyrannical masters.
1. Why Doesn’t the Bible Condemn Slavery?
2. How Does Christianity Impact My Job?
So knowing this part of Ephesians was written for the immediate context for slaves and Masters, we can grab something out of it for our lives, our work lives. No matter if you clean toilets or you push papers for a living, your ultimate motivation is the Lord: “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:5-6). The Bible calls on you to make your workplace your sanctuary. Put a steeple at your place of employment and make work an extension of your worship. This is easier said than done, isn’t it? Nevertheless, you are called to place a steeple at your workplace.
Work unto the Lord.
If you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and you’re working someplace that isn’t “a fit,” don’t mail it in. You may say, “I don’t like the people I work with. I don’t like my boss. I don’t like the rules and regulations, etc.” You may not be able to stand your job, and nothing else has opened up for you. Nevertheless, give 100% because you are looking past the immediate aspects of your job to work for the Lord.
2.1 My Personal Jobs
I have had all kinds of jobs through the years, and I imagine you have too. I have worked sold sneakers at the mall, mowed yards, fueled small airplanes, drove limousines, and worked for local Tex-Pac, making deliveries when I first moved to Fort Worth. My wife, Traci, has done sales, worked in a doctor’s office, sold ladies’ clothing in the mall, watched children, and worked for the city of Fort Worth. We have been blessed to work for some wonderful people and some not-so-good people over those years. It’s always better to work for someone that is caring for his/her employees.
2.2 Work Unto the Lord
No matter the environment and no matter your boss, you are called to place a steeple at your workplace. Work as unto the Lord! No matter where or how your receive your paycheck, picture taking the Lord’s Supper while at work. There’s never an excuse to do what is right even though it’s hard.
Get this picture: You are to work for the Lord. Surely, the quickest way to improve our work ethic is to actually like where we work. Yet, every job is work at some level. There’s a reason they pay you, isn’t there?
2.3 Two Signatures
More seriously, one of the conversations I have with my children is they need to do a job with two signatures in mind. When you mow the lawn, you are singing God’s name and your name to the lawn. “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:5-6). The first responsibility of the slave as a slave is to do the will of another. But the Bible is telling us we don’t simply work to make an impression for the owner or the boss.
A moment ago, I mentioned working as a limousine driver, which was often airport runs in a Lincoln Town car. The Town car would have Michelin White Wall tires, and we were taught to make sure the white strip was really clean before picking up a passenger. I learned to keep some paint thinner near me because paint thinner would eliminate all the smudge marks and make the tires shine. The boss even when so far as to tell us on rainy days, if time only allowed for some cleaning of a dirty car, then we were to clean the passenger side tires. After all, this is where the paying customer was likely to enter the car. Your ultimate goal isn’t to simply please the boss but please the Lord. The Lord can see both sides of the car even on rainy days! Again, two signatures – everything you do has at least these two signatures.
See past your boss to the Boss: “not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6). See past your immediate boss to the Boss. See past the customer (who’s always boss) to THE Boss. When people see your work, they should know something about your allegiance to your Lord, and secondly, they know something about how you do your work.
2.4 My Act of Worship
Years ago, I was struggling as a young pastor. I was just learning the rhythms of my work week and how to approach my work life. I didn’t like the conflict inside the church constantly surfacing. I was criticized, as was nearly everything during this season of ministry. I soon noticed a difference in how I prepared my message for Sunday. I found myself not even wanting to prepare for something I used to love. I was entering a period where a mild form of depression was consuming me. I found myself dragging my feet in preparing really well for Sunday. Then, I realized something that was simple – my preparation and my message were first and foremost for the Lord. No matter what feedback I received from anyone else, I first had to prepare myself thoroughly. Over the past fifteen years, I began to take the task of preaching more seriously because I grew up. One of the things I learned to do was to be more detailed-oriented. I began to “cross my T’s and dot my I’s,” if you will. My attitude began to be refreshed. Of course, I don’t always please the Lord. But this simple attitude change made a big difference in my act of personal worship.
2.5 Employers
“Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him” (Ephesians 6:9).
The master of the slave and the employer of the workforce, you too have a Master. Let’s talk about paying your employees. Are you paying the people who work for you well? “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (James 5:4).
CEO compensation has grown 940% since 1978 while the typical worker’s wage according to the Economic Policy Institute. The average CEO pay is 271 times the nearly $58,000 annual average pay of the typical American worker. God wants you to pay your workers. Treat people with dignity and compliment them. Treat even the lowest of people on the totem pole at your workplace the same way you want to be treated. The check-out lady at the store is made in the image of God. The guy who mows my yard needs me to treat him like I would the CEO of the bank. All your employees are made in the very same image of God, just as the pre-born fetus. Your power and your authority are to be used under the stewardship of the Lord.
Employers have an appointment with Almighty God. Employers, are your employees in church praying about how difficult it is to work for you?
2.6 Practical Advice
Let’s get practical for a moment to talk about how to work unto the Lord. 1) Always on time; 2) never stand around, and 3) look for extra things to do. Tell your employer, “I am grateful for this job – thank you!” Christians ought to be the best in attitude, the best in dependability, and the best in integrity. All of us who are employed must be faithful, hard workers, or we are sinning. The gospel should make a difference in how I approach my work on Monday.
Jesus’ death is just that impactful.
1. Why Doesn’t the Bible Condemn Slavery?
2. How Does Christianity Impact My Job?
