Whom Do You Work For?

Whom Do You Work For?

Ephesians 6.5-9

September 2, 2007 (a-m)

Labor Day Service

Thompson Creek Baptist Church

To make it in today’s world, you almost without fail, have to have a job. Even the super rich for the most part, have jobs or companies to run.

All jobs have standards don’t they? They all have rules to follow, certain procedures, quotas and so on. You have to perform to a certain standard in order to keep your job don’t you.

Now, whom do you strive to keep pleased when it comes to your job? Those of you that are retired, when you were working, whom did you strive to please on the job?

Your boss! Well, the Bible tells us in our passage today that we need to do our work, as if we were working for Christ.

Eph 6:5-9 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

(6) Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

(7) With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: (8) Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

(9) And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

Verse 5 is telling us, Workers, be obedient, do a good job, according to the flesh (according to the company rules),

Do it with respect and sincerity, do it with a singleness of heart, i.e.—do it as if you were sincerely doing it for Jesus Christ.

What is your motive for doing a good job? Raise, Promotion, a pat on the back?

Our motivation should be that it is for Jesus Christ. We want the pat on the back in heaven (well done Thou Good and Faithful Servant).

Jesus cannot say that to us if we are slack and lazy on the job folks. We are not honoring Christ if we are taking every short cut that we can to avoid working hard.

Preacher, every time my boss comes around I am busy. I am glad you are!

How many of you know your bosses routine? You know when he is coming on his rounds.

Verse 6 deals with this very issue. Not with eye service as men pleasers. Don’t work like a champ when someone is watching and slack off when no one is around.

Don’t take that extra five minutes of break time every break. That dishonors God. How does that dishonor God preacher?

Everybody that you work with ought to know that you are a Christian. If they don’t you have a problem.

People ought to know #1 because you have told them and #2 you walk the walk of a Christian.

If you abuse your break-time and slack off when nobody is watching, you are not living a Christian life. You are not glorifying God through your actions, and you are in effect taking God’s name in vain.

Verse 6 goes on to say to do your job as the servants of Christ—doing the will of God from the heart.

Do what God wants you to do, honor Him and live for Him. Be a witness for Him while you are on the job. You can do this by having a good work ethic and doing what is required on the job.

Verse 7 re-iterates the fact that you need to work with enthusiasm just as if you were punching the clock for God rather than for man.

Now, we do it for the honor of God, because as a Christian we should, but verse 8 tells us that there is some reward.

God rewards your good works. John Maxwell states:

“The principles Paul taught to owners and slaves apply today to employees and employers. He twice states the important principle: We are not to be people pleasers (Eph 6.6). We aren’t to work while others watch and then slack off when alone.

We are to render service as though we are working for God, who watches at all times (6.7). Not only does God watch, but He rewards anything good that we do (6.8).” [Maxwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, NKJV. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002), p. 1443.]

Do you glorify God in your work? Now not all of this is for the employee, the employer has some responsibility as well, seeing that God is no respecter of persons.

The Christian boss needs to treat his employees that same way that God commands the employee to treat Him, look at verse 9.

Whom do you work for? According to the scriptures, regardless of where our place of employment is, we need to work as though we were doing it for the Lord.