Sermon Central
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Workers And Bosses
Contributed by Stephen Aram on Dec 2, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: Most of us are pretty good at knowing how to behave at church. But how does Christian faith apply in your workplace. The Apostle Paul gives some real wisdom for us in his letter to the Ephesians.
When you work, whatever your task, whoever your boss is, be obedient, work with singleness of heart, whether people are watching you or not, and do your work as worship to God.
Well, that was Paul’s answer to the slave. What did he say to the slave owner? Did he stir up a hornet’s nest by calling for instant social change? Did he attack the entire institution of slavery? There are times to attack institutions, but Paul didn’t do it this time. But he did enough.
I’ve already said that he told the slaves to obey their masters, with singleness of heart, whether they are being watched or not, as their worship to God. That’s fairly predictable. But then he told the masters to do the same for the slaves. That’s verse 9. And every jaw in the place dropped. What?
Masters, obey your slaves, with singleness of heart and do this as your service to God, your religion. I can see the master scratching his heard, trying to figure this out.
Can you be a Christian and exploit your slaves and treat them like dirt? No way. You are called to serve them, to love them, to work for what is best for them. You can’t do it the old way. Every person is precious in God’s sight. In God there is no partiality. There are no throw-aways. There are none who deserve abuse. All deserve respect.
And slavery did not come to an end for centuries. Here in America it took a horrible war to bring it to an end, 1800 years after Paul wrote. But that morning Paul gave our planet a DNA transplant that slowly, slowly took effect. There is no partiality in God.
And that’s a word for us today, too. Every one of us has at least some moments of being bosses. When you go out to eat and that shy busboy picks up your dirty dishes, it is your job from God, your act of worship, to take an opportunity to be a blessing to him, if even with a smile and a thank-you.
If you are actually in the kind of boss position where you write the paychecks or give the orders, it is your job to be a blessing to your workers even while you get the job done.
In God there is no partiality. AMEN
