Right Living in a World Gone Wrong
Ephesians 6:5-9
There’s a book making the rounds right now that is getting a lot of attention. It’s called Why Men Hate Going To Church. On of the reasons given is that men feel like the church is out of touch with their world. One of the other reasons is that the sermons are too long – but I don’t agree with that one!
For both men and women, work is very important. But for men it may be the single most important part of your life. What we do is how we identify ourselves. When men meet new men, most likely the first question they’re going to ask, after their name, is what they do for a living. We find our identity in our jobs. Men don’t only find their identity in their work, we also find our value in our work. Much of our self-esteem as a man is wrapped up in what we do for a living – and yet a recent survey found that 65% of American workers are unhappy with their jobs. So if much of our identity and self-esteem is found in our work, and two-thirds of us are unhappy in our jobs, then there’s a problem, isn’t there?
But in the midst of all this evidence, the church has largely remained silent on the issue of work. Surveys show that 92% of men have never heard a single sermon on their work. This most important issue to a man has never been addressed for most men. No wonder most men feel that church isn’t relevant to them – it ignores the most important part of their lives! But it’s not for a lack of material! In fact, the Bible talks a lot about work – and in today’s text, we are going to find what I believe is a key to loving your work.
About a year ago, when we were talking about what it takes to be a real man, we talked about the fact that our work matters to God. That God created work as part of Paradise – it was part of the Garden of Eden, and that work is actually part of God’s character that He has placed in us. Work is intended to be a fulfilling, vital part of our lives that we are to enjoy, not endure.
But how do we make that shift from enduring to embracing our work? From hating it to loving it? That is one monumental shift!
Let me take you back to Ephesians. We’ve been studying this letter from Paul for some time. People who think that the Bible is not practical just need to open up their Bibles to the last half of this letter and they will find real life advice about all sorts of issues we face today – morality, marriage, raising kids, dealing with parents, and our work.
In Ephesians 6:5-9, we read these words. I’m taking them from the New International Version –
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Now, I know that that “Slaves and Masters” thing might get in the way of some of our thinking, so let me address it real quickly.
The Roman Empire is estimated to have had as many as 6 million slaves.[i] It is also estimated that from one-third to one-half of the populations of large cities like Ephesus and Rome were slaves.
It is true that many slaves were horribly mistreated. But the historical evidence shows that by the time Paul wrote this letter many sweeping changes had been introduced. In the First Century, under Roman law, many slaves were being set free. In fact, Augustus Caesar introduced legal restrictions to curb slavery. Slaves could own property --- including slaves of their own. Slaves were used in all kinds of jobs. The Romans delegated almost all work to them. A slave could be a teacher, doctor, or administrator. From custodian to C.E.O., slaves were the backbone of society. In the Hebrew society, slaves had even more rights, including the right to be set free in the seventh year. In many respects, the position of bondservant could be compared with that of employee today. There are some significant differences, but there are some important similarities. The position of master could also be compared with that of employers. Some of us have no problem comparing our work and our boss to slavery and masters – but that would be an exaggeration.
At first glance, you may be tempted to conclude that this passage has no relevance for today. But that would be a mistake. There is, in fact, a direct application that can be made to employee / employer relationships.
As you look over that portion of Scripture, do you notice a word that appears multiple times? There are actually two words that are repeated three times each.
The first I want us to focus on is the word “heart.” Three times in three verses Paul uses the word “heart.” Work is not so much a matter of the body or mind – it is a matter of the heart. Paul says that we should work “with sincerity of heart,” in verse 5; “from the heart,” in verse 7; and “wholeheartedly” in verse 8. But it’s not just any heart that Paul is addressing here. It’s a heart that has been turned over to Jesus. This entire letter is addressed to people who have decided that they believe the claims of Jesus. That He is the Son of God. That He lived a sinless life. That He willingly gave His life as a payment for my failures, my sins, my slips – and for yours. These words are written to people who have decided that they are going to accept that payment for their sins, and have it applied to their debt before God – settling the account. This letter is written to people who have determined that they will follow His teachings, obey His Word, and live to please Him. Those people are called “Christian,” not because of the church they attend, but because in their heart they want to be like Christ. If that’s you, these words were written for you – if that doesn’t describe you – your work and much of the rest of your life is going to be lived for all the wrong reasons – for self, for others, or for no reason at all. If you haven’t decided to follow Jesus, and have the life He offers – you really need to check it out – I’d love to talk it over with you after the service.
If you ARE a Christian, however, your life in Christ is meant to give meaning and significance to every part of your life – because your relationship with Christ is an extreme makeover – it changes your heart – your very soul – and it impacts every aspect of life. That’s what we’ve been looking at for these last few weeks. Paul wrote earlier that we are not to be drunk on wine, but filled with the Holy Spirit – that means that we are to be found “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit. That influence affects our relationships at church, in our homes and in our jobs – whether we are the grunt or the boss-man.
Paul starts out talking to the employee. There’s another word that appears three times in this paragraph of Scripture – the word is obey.
We are to obey with sincerity. Sincere comes from the Latin words: “Sine ceros” which means, literally, “without wax.” Back in the day of marble statues, when an artisan would make a mistake, and cause a crack or chip in the stone, he would sometimes take some of the dust from the carvings, mix it with wax, and fill in the flaw. It looked great, until the hot sun hit it and the wax melted. Artists began to put signs on their work that did not contain fillers – that were genuine and not fake. The signs read “sine ceros” or sincere.
Our work is to be done sincerely - without fillers. Can anyone say “ouch!” Let’s be honest now, how much of our time at work is spent doing stuff that could be called “killing time?” I’ve seen it in employees who punch in, then take off their coats, go to the bathroom, fix their hair, etc. We all know the busiest shopping day of the year, right? The day after Thanksgiving. Do you know what the busiest Internet shopping day is? The MONDAY after Thanksgiving! Know why? Because that’s when people are back in their offices where they have high speed internet and can do their shopping while being paid to work.
Did you know that some computer games come with a “Boss Button” so that the employee can go to a screen that looks like work with a single key stroke if the boss comes around? Yeah, that is not working with “sincerity of heart.” Contrast that with the practical teaching of this Scripture – “Obey them not only when their eye is on you.” The King James Bible translates the word “singleness of heart.” When at work – WORK! Christians in the workplace should be the best employees on the payroll – the most diligent, the most productive the most trustworthy. Our workplace attitude is our witness of Christ’s character.
Secondly, we are told to obey our boss “as you would obey Christ.” As a believer, we must recognize that our boss, ultimately, is not the man who signs the paycheck – it is Jesus Christ Himself. We are to obey “just as you would obey Christ,” in verse 5, “like slaves of Christ,” in verse 6, and “as if you were serving the Lord,” in verse 7. So what is expected of a servant of Christ? I understand that our Monday night men’s Bible study is looking at I Corinthians these days. In chapter 4, verse 2 of that letter, we read these words, “Moreover, it is required in stewards that they be found faithful.” We are to be faithful to Christ, and in turn we are to be faithful in our work. In fact, if you recall the climactic statement of the Master from Jesus, it is, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That’s what each and every one of us wants to hear when we stand before God in final judgment. It should likewise be our great desire as workers. In the parable of the faithful servant, it is clear that the master expected his worker to work hard, smart and diligently.
Paul tells us thirdly that we should obey “as if working for the Lord, because we know the Lord will reward everyone for what he does.” Ultimately our accountability is to God for everything we do. We will give an account to Him for “every idle word,” (MT 12:36) and, according to this passage for every idle moment at work, too. As a Christian, we should recognize that ultimately we not only serve Christ in our work, but we are ultimately rewarded by Christ for our work.
In short, Christians in the workplace should be the best example of what a worker can be. For a Christian, there should be no gap between the church and the workplace. If we believe that Jesus is Lord of our lives, then He is Lord of our workplace as well as our church space. If we can recognize that, it will affect and transform our work life and our entire existence.
For the Employers, the word is shorter, but only because the advice is very much the same. Paul does give some specific instruction to the boss, however:
First seek your employees’ welfare. Paul says, “[Employers], treat your [workers] in the same way.” If a boss is going to expect his employees to give him the best, then he needs to do the best for them. As a supervisor, you must recognize that you are a servant of the Lord first, and your actions must reflect a humility and submission to Him. In the Bible, we have an example of a master in the book of Ruth. His name was Boaz, and he is shown greeting his workers with a blessing, “The Lord be with you!” and the would reply, “The Lord bless you!” Just as every boss should love to have Christians work for him because of their nature – every employee, Christian or not, should love having a Christian boss because of his integrity and character.
Secondly, Paul instructs bosses to avoid threats. Here’s some practical, wise advice for supervisors: an adversarial relationship with your employees is not a good idea. Instead, recognize that you are in this thing together, you are no different in God’s eyes then they. They may serve you – be you serve a higher authority, too.
Thirdly, be submissive to the Lord. That means that we are to recognize our ultimate accountability and service to Christ as a supervisor. You will one day stand before God and have your life as a husband, father, brother, and employer examined. If you want to know what that will be like, we are going to do a very special dramatic presentation of it in October, but you can find the Biblical basis in II Corinthians 5. Jesus said that “the one who would be chief among you must be the servant of all.” (MT 20:27) I will never forget a person who was much loved among the people he worked with – until he went away for a while, got a doctorate, and returned as the new boss-man. He lost all sense of humility – he forgot that he had a “master in heaven,” and not only was sensitive to his underlings, he lost all sensitivity to the Lord as well. He later suffered moral failure with his secretary, and made excuses (in the media!) for his bad behavior and blamed his wife for his failure! Always remember that we lead best when we are led by the Lord.
Lastly, Paul warns against favoritism. God is not a respecter of persons, and neither should we play favorites. When we are biased in our treatment of our employees, or when we are inconsistent in our pay, discipline or treatment of our workers, we are laying the foundation for trouble in the workplace. God gives rain to both the wicked and the good. Church leaders are cold to careful to lead “without preferring one over another, and to do nothing with partiality.” (I Timothy 5:21). That advice is equally important for employers in the secular workplace as well. One of the fastest ways to destroy loyalty and motivation in the work place is to play favorites.
Practical words for employees and the people they work for. These words are the conclusion of a section of Scripture that falls under the heading of “Spirit Filled Living.” Every part of our lives is to be spent under the control of the Holy Spirit, and is to be an example of harmony and mutuality. Remember that Paul introduced this section with the words from chapter 5, verse 21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” As we submit to one another, and to the control of the Holy Spirit in every part of our lives, we will indeed make a difference in the world.
Closing:
One of us wanted to close this sermon with the song, “I Don’t Want to Work, I Just Want To Bang On My Drum All Day,” but I got overruled! Instead, we’re going to close with the song, “Salt and Light.” The chorus is a plea to the Lord – “Make me salt, make me light, let your holy fire ignite. Reveal Your glory in my life.” As we live in our church, homes and workplace under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the glory of Christ is revealed to the world around us. Let’s make this song our closing prayer.