Evening Service for 9/5/2004
Labor
Introduction:
A father is asked by his friend, “Has your son decided what he wants to be when he grows up?” “Yes, he wants to be a garbage collector,” replied the boy’s father. His friend thought for a moment and responded, “That’s a rather strange ambition to have for a career.” “Well,” said the boy’s father, “he thinks that garbage collectors only work on Mondays!”
WBTU:
A. Tomorrow is Labor Day
B. R.C. Sproul- The cradle of the church was the marketplace. From the preaching and public ministry of Jesus to the daily acts of the apostles, the central scene was the marketplace. Perhaps the greatest need for our day is the need to market Jesus Christ. The church must become expert in marketing: Not in the slick, Madison Avenue style, but in an aggressive, yet dignified way. The marketplace is where we belong. It is where needy people are found.”
C. The church gathers on Sunday, but scatters Monday through Saturday. Followers of Jesus Christ live as God’s ambassadors in the marketplace. Jesus sent his followers in the world to penetrate the marketplace.
D. Campus Ministry
E. This is spiritual and this is not. Everything we do is spiritual. (1 Cor 10:31 NIV) So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
F. Compartmentalize our lives.
G. Pray without ceasing.
H. Make mention of the Prayer Vigil October 2nd.
I. We need to discover effective ways to pray for our employers, customers, and coworkers and ourselves in the workplace.
Thesis: Let look at things that we need to personally pray about for our workplace and then let’s look at ways we can pray for others in our workplace.
For instances:
Personally
A. Pray that we will be able to be creative in our workplace. Use the gifts and talents that God has given us for the good of the company and for the good of the Kingdom.
1. God was creative when he made the world. We have his image in us.
2. Use our SHAPE in the workplace. Spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences.
3. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
4. For years Gordon MacDonald rode the same bus daily from his home to his church in New York City. One day the bus driver complained to MacDonald: “You’ve got it a lot better than me. You have an interesting job and travel different places. I just drive this bus up and down the same streets every day.” MacDonald told the bus driver his job could be a Christian ministry too. “Every day, when you first get on this bus, before anyone else gets on, dedicate this bus to God for that day. Declare it to be a sanctuary for God for that day. Consecrate it to God’s glory, and then act like it is a place where God dwells.” Several weeks later MacDonald returned from a trip and saw the bus driver. “You’ve transformed my life,” the man said. “I’ve been doing what you said every day, and it has made me see my job in an entirely new perspective.”
B. Pray that we will have integrity in all that we do.
1. (Prov 10:9 NIV) The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
2. Enron
3. To be blameless is to do the right thing when you know that no one is looking.
C. Pray that we will be able to bring prosperity to the company and use this for the Kingdom.
1. (Deu 8:18 NIV) But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
2. Avoid the temptation of greed and materialism and dedicate wealth to God’s service.
3. Most companies are built to make wealth. Are we helping the company do this or are we a hindrance? Again with integrity.
D. Pray that we will be protected from violence and harsh words and people who are unreasonable.
1. Pray that the workplace will be one of peace and safety.
2. (Psa 91:9 NIV) If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge--(Psa 91:10 NIV) then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.(Psa 91:11 NIV) For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
E. Pray that our words will be constructive and life giving, with truthfulness, to those around us.
1. (Eph 4:29 NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
2. (Mat 12:37 NIV) For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
F. Pray that we will practice forgiveness to those who ask it and to those who don’t. Pray that we will ask for forgiveness when we are wrong.
1. Need to avoid bitterness and revenge and malice.
2. (Col 3:13 NIV) Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
G. Pray that our workplace will have a spirit of peace.
1. (Phil 4:6 NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.(Phil 4:7 NIV) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2. (Rom 14:19 NIV) Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. This passage is in a section on eating meat offered to idols. Some times we have to give up our rights or what we feel we deserve.
H. Pray that we have a dedication to the company. Not a dedication higher than to Jesus Christ or to their family, but a sense of loyalty.
1. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Sometimes it is but not always.
2. When times get hard that we are able to stick it out.
3. Our relationship to our spouse, our relationship to the Lord. Our loyalty to our job.
Illustration: Mark Duke was serving as a personnel manager for Spring Telephone. Along with his supervisor, Mark was given the task of helping 300 poorly producing sales persons start producing. They tried all the classic motivational approaches, but nothing worked. Mark and his supervisor were both Christians. They said, “We’ve tried everything, so why don’t we pray?” They prayed and God led them through a process in which they helped the struggling employees with their personal problems. They shared Christ with them sensitively and ethically. That year they exceeded their sales quota.
Ways that we can pray for others
A. Pray that others will have these characteristics.
1. Creativity. Not a spirit of jealousy from us.
2. Integrity.
3. Prosperity. No jealousy
4. Protection
5. Speech- no harsh words or cursing
6. Forgiveness.
7. Peace
8. Dedication
B. Pray over our calendars.
1. At the beginning of our day that we will be a Christ like witness to these people.
2. Pray for people meeting with
3. Pray for co workers that we will be working with
4. When we pray for them we need to pray for those who are not Christians
5. We need to pray for those who are followers of Christ, strengthening and encouraging
C. Pray for those we manage or lead
1. These people are not only corporate responsibilities but spiritual ones as well.
2. Shepherd
3. We must pray for God’s wisdom in dealing with them, reflecting the character of God in our management styles.
D. Pray for those who manage or lead us.
1. Pray for your boss.
2. WE have a responsibility to pray for those over us.
3. Praying for our boss reminds us of their humanity, and of their need for Christ.
4. Often, our hearts will be softened, enabling us to reflect the character of God even in those times when we might face unreasonable demands or unfair treatment.
E. Divide up the people we pray for into days of the week.
1. Because of hectic schedules, the number of people we can effectively, individually pray for is limited.
2. Make a few for a day and then another few for another day.
F. Pray for God to make it clear who He wants us to talk to about Him that day, and who might benefit from our silence about matters of faith in that moment.
1. (Eccl 3:7 NIV) a time to be silent and a time to speak,
2. We are not there to preach or speak about Christ, we are there to do a job. When opportunities arise, we need to grab them, but we don’t need to shortchange the company and use time that we need to work to speak about Christ in a long conversation.
3. (Mat 22:21 NIV) Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s."
4. On the other hand, do not view people’s personal problems as an inconvenient interruption to your day. These are opportunities.
G. Pray that the Christians in your workplace can find a time and place to meet together and study and pray. A small group
1. Come from different backgrounds. That is Okay. Might actually introduce some things that you think. You will be able to talk about things that will make them think.
2. We have rights in this area. At the school, and the work.
3. Over a lunch break.
4. Cannot interfere with production!
5. Had several people talk about how at their workplace they have these things.
6. Don’t have one; pray that God will use you to get one. If you do have one, drop in on it and participate.
7. Where two or three are gathered… The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
