Jesus Is Enough - Part 8
"There Should Be A ND At Work"
What you do 40+ hours every week, whetehr in the home the school room or the workforce - matters to God......
Question; Do you feel, that what you during the week matters to God? Listen - it is important that you do, because when you feel that your work matters to God >> you will have a sense of dignity about your work, no matter what that work may be >> you will have a sense of destiny & purpose >> and you will have an inner motivation to be distinctive -- to excel - to rise above medocrity...
On the other hand; if you feel that your work does not matter to God - that He is not concerned with what you do - you will not have nay motivation, to be distinctive; you’ll have no sense of purpose - AND therefore you’ll find it much easier tom make moral compromises during the week.... "Hey it really doesn’t matter if I lie, come in late or work hard - it’s only a job, and hey they should pay be more anyway..."
Today, I wnat us to brielfy consider some reaosns why your work matters to God... My goal in our time togetehr is to convince you of this truth, and hten send you out to your work place with a renwed vigor, passion and purpose....
First of all your work matters to God - BECAUSE
God Is A Worker And You Are Made In His Image
From the opening pages of God’s word - it is obvious that our God is a worker... That he is a God who is busy, a God who is on the move....
The Pslamist writes; "...he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Isreal will neither slumber nor sleep..." - Ps 121:3
In the beginning, God created th eheavens and the earth. The sky, water, land, trees, mountians, sun, moon, starts, fish, birds, aninals, man -- NONE of what we see existed, THEN God spoke and it was....
(Think about that for a momnet - what a mighty God we serve....)
And in Gen 2:2; we read;
"By the 7th day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the 7th day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the 7th and made it Holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating he had done..."
And David writes;
"The heavens decalre the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands..." Ps 19:1
"How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.." Ps 104:24
"Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them..." Ps 111:2
Our God is a worker...and we, according to Genisis 1:26,27, are created in His own image... Therefore, since our God is a worker - we are to be workers... That is why God, after creating Adam (the first man), immediately put him to wrok in the garden;
"The Lord took the man and put him in the garden of Eden, to work and take care of it..."
Jesus Christ, was also a worker;
"My food," said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finsih His work..."
Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too, am working..." John 5:17
When man was created by God - he was created to be a worker...work is part of who we are, part of how God designed us to be. To be a worker -- is to be like God. Your work is hterefore both an honrable and a good thing.
And let’s also note, that when men are "re-created" in Christ, he is alos created to be worker;
"For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advbance for us to do...." Eph 2:10
Listen, your work matters to God - because God is a worker and he has created you in his image, to be like him - to be a worker.... And your work matters to God, because Jesus is a worker and He has re-created you to do good works...
Now, before we leave here and move on to the next reaosn your work matters to God - let’s note 2 importnat things about the work hbaits of the Fatehr & the Son.
Number one; they finished their work;
"By the 7th day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the 7th day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the 7th and made it Holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating he had done..."
"My food," said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finsih His work..."
They both finshed their work. No car on the blocks & jobs half done for God and Jesus. Thye completed their work - now that is a good work ethic for us to apply to both our work in and out of the church.
Number 2 - They rested..... God rested on what day - The 7th day....
Question - do you think Jesus Christ was a busy guy? He and His disciples had about 3 years to get a lot done... Jesus day planner was jammed packed, but listen to what he said in Mark 6:31;
Then because so many people were coming and going they didn’t even have a chnace to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yoursleevs to a quiet place and get some rest...."
Any work addicts out there? It is an easy thing to do. One more evening at the office. One more hour before we go home. One more shift of overtime. One more load of laundry. One more phone call. One more project - and it can get to the point where we begin to feel guilty if we relax - or we even forget HOW to relax.
Listen, when you burn the candle at both ends you are not as bright as you think you are.
A second reason - your work matters to God is because:
God Is Your True Employer
It may not matter to the people working with you - it may not even matter to the customers - but if anyone cares about your work and your performan, it is your employer.... That is why workers straighten up and work harder, when the boss is around...or happens to pop in the room. Have you ever noticed that? Seen that? Done that?
God is our true boss -- and since God is omni-present -- He is always around... God, just doesn’t drop in ocassionally - He is always there. Listen what Paul says in our text;
"You slaves must obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Obey them willingly because of your revernet fear of the Lord. Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord, rathe rthna for people. Remeber that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are servbing is Christ. But if do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the worng you have done... For God has no favorites who cna get away with evil...You slave owners must be just and fair to your slaves. Remeber that you also have a Master in heaven."
Col 3:22-4:1
Now, in these verses Paul is addressing slaves -- BUT this principle also applies to the employer-employee relationship and the student - teacher.
God says that we are to obey our employers in everything - (now obviously not if what they tell us toi do menas that we sin)
In your outline circle - "Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you..."
Question; Why would people tend to chnage the way the work when their boss is watching them?
Listen, we are to obey are bosses/teachers, not only, when they are watching, BUT also when they are not wacthing..."when the cats away, the mice will play..." Does not apply to Christians.
And our ‘primary’ motivation for doing this is not to get a paycheck, a good grade or to win the favor of our boss or teacher, BUT rather our motivation is to be our reverence for the Lord.
As Paul wrote is Col 3:17;
"Every detail in my life - words, actions, whatever must be done
in the name of Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."
Whatever you do (mange an office, program computers, market software, construct homes, tecah in a school, work in a doctors office, or you are a studnet a school) - you must do it with all your heart, becasue in relaity you are working for the Lord..
When you go to work this week - remember who you real boss is... Remember that he is awlays there, He is always watching you, Remember who it is that you are striving to pleaase. And remeber who it is that will sign that msot importnat pay check...(eternal life).
A 3rd reason your work matters to God is; Becasue;
You Are To Be A Letter Of God In Your Work Place
Check out these verses in 2 Cor 3:2,3;
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone BUT on tablets of human hearts....."
Circle - in your outline; "You yourselves are our letter....."
Let me give you a little background on this verse because it is so awesome.... Paul wrote those words to the church in Corinth because - there were a lot of people in and around the church there - who were attcaking Paul’s credentials... Saying you don’t need ot listen to him.... Where are his letters of recommendation...?
You see, a lot teachers - carried with them letters from so called "important’ people - to verify their staus of a teacher.... Paul had no such letters.... And Paul siad he didn’t needed such letters to prove that His minsitry was valid... He told the church in Corinth - H etold the people there - You are my letter.... The lives you now live for Christ are a letter that is known and read by everyone....
Let me tell - there were people in the church - at Corinth that had made some serious chnages in their lives.... Check these verse from Paul’s first letter to the church.....
"Don’t you know that those who do worng will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourelves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshippers, adulterers, male prostitues, homosexulas, thievbes, greedy people, drunkards, abusers and swindlers - none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. (Okay here’s the punch line) There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set arapt for God...."
Paul says to you want to know - about my minsitry - look at the chnaged lives; You all know Joe well Joe doesn’t get drunk anymore - and Jane is no longer an aduleter, and Bob gave up the homosexual lifestyle,
Listen there was a Noticebale differnece in the lives of these people.....
Before Jesus ascended into hevaen, he told the disciples that theyw ere to be his witneses - in Jerusalem, in Judea, Samria and to the ends of the earth....
Jesus was going to be with the fatehr -- and the job of perosnally represneting God to the lost world now rested with them...
And it alos, does it not rest with us? Listen, we are to be God witnesses, His represnetatives, His reflection to the lost world....
Understand, there are many people in our society who would never consdider going to church on a Sunday morning - that’s the day to go to the lake, work on the yard, sleep in >>> and besides as we said most people in our world think that chruch is - boring, uptight and ilrelevant....
SO how, then is God’s message of sin, God’s love & redemption - EVER going to reach them?
Well, God has a plan. For you see, 5 days a week - 8+ hours a day, God has His people (those who know Him, Love Him, Been saved by Him) - God has His people going out to them - working beside them, working for them - going to class with them...
God has his witnesses, He has His perosnal representatives going out to nealry every place in this world.....
Listen - your work matters to God >> becasue wherever you are, you are to be His witnesses... You are to be a refelction of Him to a dark world...
Listen - Let me tell you soemthing that has me totally pumped!!! Something that has my fires stoked, Something that is telling me that the year 2001 is going to blow us away!!!! I mean we are on the launch pad - the countdown to lift off has begun -- it’s looking like all systems are a go....
Okay, here is what has me going over the edge - it’s YOU!!! And YOU!!!! And You!!!! So many of you are getting so on fire for God - so many of you are totally serious about your relationship with God. So many of you have tossed in the twoel on this 1 hour a week Christian stuff - and are trying to live for Him 24/7!!!
You all are becoming awesome letters of God. People you work with are seeing a difference - a ND!!! People you work for are seeing a ND!! People you go to school with are seeing a ND.....
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone BUT on tablets of human hearts....."
