"Work Ethic: You're Not Working For People”

HOLY SPIRIT BLESS US

Ephesians 6: 5-9

“WORK ETHIC: YOU’RE NOT WORKING FOR PEOPLE”

We as Christians believed in our hearts that we are special in the sight of God. His only begotten Son Jesus Christ died for us, He love us so much and we are so thankful about the reality that He willingly gave up Himself for our salvation and that we may live in eternity with Him forever.

In 1 Peter 2: 9,10 said, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light,

Who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

Apostle Peter is speaking about the reality of being a people with and in the Lord. These statements were addressed to God’s chosen people - the Israelites, but they are also true in our personal lives as Christians and Believers nowadays.

We know that we are also special because when God sent His Son Jesus Christ, He sent Him for the benefit of the entire humanity.

In that sense, we always focus on the highest level of status when God called us out from “darkness into His marvelous light.” We know that we… the Called by God are above anyone else especially from among the non-Christians. God has placed us in a very important position that everyone must imagine to be.

It’s funny because, while it is true that we were declared to be in a position of “a royal priesthood,” we are also called to enjoy the position of being God’s servants through being the servant of all for the sake of Jesus Christ..

At our Wednesday church bible study, one member mentioned about being servants of God or becoming slaves for the sake of Jesus Christ. As servants, we are just to follow orders without any objections at all. The Master has the power and authority of doing and saying anything because we are his/ her servant.

Verse 5. Slaves (RSV) Bondservants (NKJV) be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;

What do you think was Apostle Paul thinking at that time when he wrote this letter? He was telling us that even though the Israelites are a “royal priesthood and a chosen generation” they also are considered “Slaves”…

“Servants” of God. It sounds extreme but that’s the way God designed it to be.

As Servants of God, our obedience will be determined by these actions:

a. With fear and trembling. For most Christians, they defined obedience to God in a very simple way as saying, “Lord, Sunday is yours and the rest of the week is mine.” Or Lord, I just need a small portion of you and I give you a portion of my time because of my need at this time.

We never thought about obeying God with all our heart as in… with fear and trembling. What does this mean? God requires our obedience based on who we are…our total being… with reverence to God.

b. In sincerity of heart. Obeying Him means with complete sincerity of our hearts. We cannot glorify Him by mere outspoken words but more so with what’s in our hearts. We say and do things based on what’s in our hearts.

Apostle Paul, continued and said, “as to Christ.” And from (RSV) “as you obey Christ.”

Our text shows that it evolves around who Jesus Christ really is and it’s all about our obedience and service to Him as His servants.

Verse 6. “Not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Here is the thing, as servants or slaves or followers of God in Christ, we have things to do… as task is given to us…according to the will of God which is coming from the heart.

You and me are here today because we want to be His servants.(I pray that that is our motivation and for the past few Sundays, I always emphasized for us to search our hearts on what our intentions are to be in this church.)

If our reason to be here is to become God’s Servants… therefore, we need to give and perform our very best effort to please our Master-Jesus Christ.

One hymn goes like this, “Give of your best to the Master.”

Apostle Paul clearly pointed out the reality even during him times that many servants are doing their responsibilities because they know that someone is looking at them, so they do it for the sake of “eye service” or “men-pleasers.” This is also true in our situation nowadays as people in the church.