It’s Off to Work I Go (II)
Prov. 21:25-26
1-12-03
This morning we want to pick up where we left off last week. Our subject is a biblical view of work. Am I seeing my work the way God wants me to see it? Last week we addressed four scriptural concepts concerning work. We are to see our work as:
1. A Present from God In Eccl. 5:19 we discovered that to work and enjoy our work is a gift from God. We talked about why this gift is so good. God’s present to you is work sanctified by the Holy Spirit perfectly suited for you.
2. A Protection from Temptation We talked about David’s failure with Bethsheba. The set up for that failure was idleness. Paul confronted people in the early church who were not working. In 1 Timothy 5:13 he talked about those who “learned” to be idle—a learned behavior, a habit formed that was not good. What did they do to fill the vacuum of their time? They filled it with gossip and meddling in other people’s business. Gossip is usually a good indicator that somebody doesn’t have enough work to do. Somebody needs to “get a life.”
3. A Provision for my Needs In the normal course of life we are to work and enjoy the fruit of our labor. God’s means of provision for you and me is usually through the avenue of work. “Six days shall you labor …”--the seventh day is then a day of rest. In the early church Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit established the rule that if a person would not work then neither should he eat (2 Thes. 3:10)
4. A Partnership with God We used the farmer to illustrate partnership with God in our work. The farmer clears the land, plows and waters the fields with a faith and expectation that God will do His part in the process. Only God can ultimately bring the increase. But God requires the farmer’s work as an expression of faith and a partnership with Him. We heard Jesus say in John 5:17 "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." The fact that God is working does not mean that I stop working. Indeed, it should be a great inspiration for me to work.
This morning I want to talk some more about our work as a Partnership with God.
What happens if I don’t view my work as a partnership with God?
1st I could find myself actually working against God. At the Tower of Babel they worked hard. They were highly motivated. But they were working for the wrong reason. They were pursuing the wrong purpose. There are right reasons to work hard and there are wrong reasons for working hard. Working for one’s own self aggrandizement, one’s own glory, is a motivation that will ultimately end in frustration. God Himself frustrated their efforts at Babel.
Many Christians work for the same reasons the ungodly work and find themselves just as frustrated as unbelievers. They have been saved but their thinking concerning work has not been changed. Their minds as Romans 12 puts it need to be renewed in this dimension of their lives. Whether we’re a believer or unbeliever if we work to just acquire things for ourselves or make life easy for ourselves or gain the praises of men we will experience frustration after frustration in our work. Even if we do gain a superficial success our souls will still be crying out, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”
Work as a partnership with God means I do what He tells me to do and I do it to please Him. I am not calling the shots, He is. I am not just pursuing my own selfish interest I’m
pursuing His good pleasure. And I’m doing it with the full expectation of His involvement.
If I don’t view work as a partnership with God
2nd I could end up eternally bankrupt. There was a hard working farmer who became very successful but he had the wrong perspective on work. He simply worked to accumulate things. One day he decided to make one more investment. He would tear down old barns and build new, bigger ones. His purpose for working revolved around himself. He was preparing for a great retirement. There is a prudent preparation for retirement but that’s not what work is all about. This man had a word for himself. Luke 12:18 in Today’s English Version, he said to himself, “Lucky man! You have all the goods you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink and enjoy yourself.”
Then God had a word for him, “You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life, then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself.”
What was he working for? Things, personal pleasure, security, ease. He is Jesus’ conclusion to that story. Luke 12:21(TEV) “And Jesus concluded, This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves, but are not rich in God’s sight.”
This man lived and worked independent of God and the result was not good. When we work just to pile up things for ourselves and our own family, when we work just so we can one day retire and “take it easy”, when we work just to finance our own pleasure then something fundamental about work is lost. There is no blessing in working independent of God, the blessing is found as we partner with God in our work.
How does this partnership work? God is the boss. He decides what I’m to do. I obey with a desire to please Him. He empowers my efforts and in the whole process satisfies my soul.
If we don’t view work as a partnership with God,
3rd We can bankrupt our own physical and emotional resources. We could burn out because we are going in our own strength. God doesn’t have to stop us. Like a locomotive running out of fuel on a hill we just run out of steam.
The other side of that coin, of course, is to expect God to do it all without our participation. But “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). Our faith is expressed through obedient action—not self-reliant action, not independent action—but doing the part God tells us to do and relying on Him to take care of the rest.
How did God save Noah in the flood? By putting him to work. He told him exactly what to do and gave him the ability to do it. But Noah by faith built an ark! Our work is to be a partnership with God.
We are also to see our work as
5. A Portion given to Others—an opportunity to serve others.
Jesus set the example in Matthew 20:28. In answer to the disciples’ argument about who would be greatest, Jesus said, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Then He gave His own life as an example, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life a ransom for many.” NIV
Are you here to serve or to be served? Paradoxically, it is the person who serves others who ultimately finds joy in his or her work. Is your work an investment in others or is it just an accumulation for yourself? Galatians 5:13 is a key verse for every Christian to understand. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” NKJV
We enjoy a New Testament liberty. We don’t do these things under the compulsion of some legalistic system. But through love, as the motive, we are to what? serve one another. I have not yet found a way to serve others without working. If anyone finds a way please let me know. I have not found a way to obey that command without working.
Last week I talked briefly about the parent’s responsibility to teach their children to work—not just how to work but first and foremost “to work.” I cannot overemphasize that truth. A biblical work ethic is foundational to integrity, to ministry, to life. “If a man will not work, neither should he eat.” That’s pretty basic. Education is no substitute for a mind to work. It provides tools to make our work more efficient. But if a person won’t work what good are the tools? Friendliness is no substitute for work. It’s important to be friendly. But people will support a friendly bum only so long. In my opinion, one of the worst things a parent can do for his child is to teach him the wrong concepts about life. If he grows up without learning to work what a shock he is in for someday. How ill equipped he is for life.
In the process of working and serving others we build rich relationships. How did Paul build relationships with Barnabas, Silas, Timothy? They were working side by side. He did not stop the great commission to build a relationship. Relationship happened in the context of fulfilling the Great Commission. Relationship developed in the context of work. It happens when we serve others. Do you want friends? Serve the needs of others and you will have friends.
So, why do we work? It’s a way to serve others. It’s the giving and investing of a portion of myself into others. It’s a way to advance the kingdom of God. But someone may say, “I don’t see how my job does that?” Eph 4:28 “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” NIV
That is a biblical motivation for work. It requires a lot of dying to self. But financial giving is an expression of service to others. Money is a representation of work done, service rendered. When money is given it is the same as service given.
One characteristic of a righteous person is generosity. Generosity flows out of a biblical view of work. Prov 21:25-26 “The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.” NIV
Notice the contrast in this passage is between a lazy person and a generous person. You would expect it to contrast a lazy person with an industrious person. But an important insight would be lost if that were done. A lazy person won’t give. He’s not even committed enough to provide for himself. When it comes time to give, he’s thinking if I give this away I’ll have to work out some more. An industrious person finds himself with more than enough because he is blessed by God. He’s not afraid to give because he sees an ongoing source of provision. He’s willing to work some more out. When I work as an opportunity to give a portion of myself to others, God honors that investment with His blessing.
This morning I’ve talked about viewing our work as a Partnership with God and as a Portion of myself that I give to others. That view of work elevates it above the daily grind. It gives it a high and holy dignity. The call today is that we would be a people who “Take the High Road to Work”. Go into your job in partnership with God Almighty. Go into your work with a desire to invest a portion of yourself in others.
Watch how God honors those who serve Him.
Prayer & Invitation
Biblical View of Work Series Outline
1. A Present from God (Eccl. 5:18-20)
2. A Protection from Temptation (2 Sam.11:1-3)
(1 Tim. 5:13)
3. A Provision for my Needs (2 Thes. 3:6-15)
4. A Partnership with God (1 Cor. 3:9) (Jn.5:17)
5. A Portion to Others (Matt. 20:28) (Eph. 4:28)
6. A Purpose fulfilled (Prov. 13:4)
7. A Proclamation of Christ (1 Thes. 4:11-12)
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
