Fighting Blasphemy In The Workplace - [1 Timothy 6:1-2]

Well, I would invite you to take your Bibles and to open them to 1st Timothy chapter 6 as we continue in 1st

Timothy You know, I think to unbelievers Christianity can seem like well, maybe what it seems like to some new believers.

That is just a series of external rules Do this don't do that even as Pastor Mike was reading

Keith Abloh this morning. Dr. Keith Abloh a psychologist one of the fabulous

Fox News a -team people It was quite clear that dr

Abloh viewed marriage as a hindrance to happiness and I'm sure he would say the same about much of Christianity that it's just a restraint an artificial device used to Keep us from being happy restrains our natural tendencies

My challenge to you tonight is to think about how quickly Christians can just kind of put their faith on the shelf

They just go home from church Put their faith up there right next to their Bible and they dust it off again next

Sunday So often Christians play right into the hands of unbelievers they believe we are hypocrites hiding our behavior behind the shield of religion and Far too often

Christians oblige them. We show that we are hypocrites.

Well, how so? now listen to this I worked on this by creating by creating a false bifurcation an

Artificial division between the holy and profane in other words, you know false bifurcation.

What's that? We try to divide our Holy life in other words our church life and even maybe our family life

From our work life We'd like to in our minds create some kind of divide so that there's no overlap.

Is that true? Is that correct is What you do at work so different than what you do in Your home or at church and you say well certainly

I come here to worship on Sunday morning when I'm at home I have godly thoughts and I have a godly wife and I have a godly husband.

I have godly children and we're all godly together Then I have to go into work into this vile pit of sin

Where I'm surrounded by unbelievers, of course, it's different Everyone a church is holy and sanctified

My home runs like a well -oiled machine Bible study in the morning prayer around breakfast

Then at dinnertime or Study of the word and before the kids all go to bed.

I make them recite, you know, Revelation 22 And then we close in prayer

And thus ends another day But somehow we just want to separate work and just pretend like it's so different.

Well, is it? Is it I'm not going to challenge you on that. I'm not in some kind of Puritanical sort of way where I'm going to give you, you know, 15 weeks on how we need to work heartily

But I want to challenge the way that we think about work now just to review where we are in first Timothy First Timothy is a letter written by Paul the

Apostle Paul with the authority of Jesus Christ to Timothy his beloved son of the faith

This young disciple this young man that he'd worked with for years and years whom he trusted and loved and whom he sent to the

Ephesus to set things right and he gave him this book this letter so that he would know how to run the church and So that the church itself

Would handle some sensitive issues in a way that would glorify God. In fact in chapter 5

Paul began a series of instructions designed to help the church avoid

Bringing shame upon her Lord or to just help the Christians not bring shame upon the church by the way they behaved first Paul addressed the proper way of Dealing with seasoned

Saints with those who are a little bit older like me second the

Apostle actually older than me but second the Apostle told Timothy that the church would need to or how they would need to care for widows and What an actual widow was he actually defined what a widow was and then third

Paul wrote about how pastors should be cared for how they should be how they should really earn their living from the teaching of the gospel and then how elders and sin should be confronted and even removed if they don't repent and In the light of the seriousness of the calling to be an elder

He urged Timothy to be cautious about putting men into that office Why because all these things if they're not done rightly they bring shame on the church

You just to give you a quick example You wouldn't expect a business to go look for the youngest person the newest hire

You know a guy just off the streets and say you know what you're gonna be our CEO It would be dumb

That business would go like this and the same holds true of a church that just looks around kind of picks willy -nilly who is going to lead the church that is not a

Biblical concept and it would ultimately bring shame upon the church So the message throughout that chapter throughout chapter 5 is clear

Do not bring shame upon the church by doing things wrongly by doing things in an

Unprescribed manner Now, let's read our text tonight. First Timothy chapter 6.

We're only going to look at verses 1 & 2 Paul writes

Let all who are under authority or under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor

So that with the purpose that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled

Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers

Rather they must serve all the better Since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved teach and urge these things

Now this evening I want to draw your attention to two commands. There's only two

Two commands drawn from our text, but then I'm going to give you two supporting reasons for each command

So that your approach to work and your thoughts about your boss will glorify

God In the secular workplace Our tendency is to view work as what as a great thing.

I think It's pretty much I I think kind of I remember my first job I walked in that first day my first full -time job

Anyway, I worked in that walked in that first day and I slid in the time card into the time clock

You know the little click It's kind of like that's just how we think of it We punch in then at the end of the day we punch out and so what we get that idea that it's drudgery

We just do it to sustain our own lives and that of our families Well, what about viewing it as Something completely different.

What about seeing it as a blessing from God if we view work rightly if we view it rightly we will view these two commands and These four motivations these four supporting concepts to each as a way of Integrating our theology into our daily lives

Call it consistent Christianity 24 -7 theology living out what we believe no matter where we are

Our first command is to Reverence your boss reverence your boss.

Look again in verse 1 Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor

Now the idea of being under a yoke makes you think of what and don't say I've been an egg white

I'm waiting for is Becky here tonight She would probably come out with that the idea of being under a yoke makes you think of what?

Oxen, I mean we a beast of burden We understand that we understand that being in a yoke

I mean, can you imagine literally having a yoke around your head and dragging things around? We understand that that would not be

Fun, at least I think most of us understand that I think we would it's not desirable

It's a life of drudgery and misery and I think that's how we often view work

But that idea of being under a yoke Jesus said you don't have to turn there in Matthew 11 verses 29 to 30

He says take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart

And you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is

Easy and my burden is light Now even when the

Lord used this metaphor, he understood this simple equation yoke equals burden yoke equals burden

Jesus described his yoke his burden as light Well in comparison to what

I think it's in comparison to what someone would typically think of as a

Yoke as a heavy burden as oppressive

He knew what it was like to be a slave what it was like to be under a yoke what he could even

In using that picture you could just see the oxen and understand that burden and you just think okay.

He's saying his burden is light He called his disciples to slavery

But he says that he is a master unlike any other So if we understand that if we understand that the concept of a yoke is a burden

Why did Paul feel the need I mean under the yoke? under Let's see.

He says under a yoke as slaves so why under a yoke which we would understand to be a burden and then say as slaves as if that's not redundant as That's not just burden upon burden

Nobody would want to be a slave Under a yoke as slaves

Well, I think it's important that we understand the nature of the world when Paul wrote this slavery in ancient

Rome was Not quite like we had here in the United States many similarities, but there are differences also

Slavery was so common that it various estimates run from one third to one half of the population of the

Empire were slaves One third to one half of the entire population were slaves

But there was a bit of upward mobility It's slavery. I mean it sounds kind of morbid, but it's true

Some slaves own slave themselves own slaves themselves some slaves were able to obtain education and substantial positions positions that we would now think of as being professional level

Accountants and the like that sort of thing Other slaves were able to over the years accrue enough money to buy their own freedom

But don't be mistaken about this slavery was always a violation of God's Word just flip back to 1st

Timothy chapter 1 Just a few pages back there and beginning

In verse 8 Paul writes this

Now we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully Understanding this that the law is not laid down for the just It's not for good people righteous people

But for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and sinners for the unholy and profane

Well, who would those people be? For those who strike their fathers and mothers for murderers the sexually immoral men who practice homosexuality

Enslavers Liars perjurers and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine

There you have it Enslavers those who go out and kidnap people with the express purpose of putting them what?

Into slavery Now some people get confused about this unbelievers misrepresented.

They say well the Bible approves of slavery. Well, no, it doesn't Says right there.

It is contrary to sound doctrine The law points that out It's not confusing at all.

If one understands it correctly Each person is an image bearer of God So to buy and sell

God's image bearers is wrong, it's a violation of the law However, the

Bible describes not prescribes it describes the world as it is

Listen to some of the ways People in the time of Paul were taken as slaves. I mentioned being purchased certainly conquered nations could be taken as Slaves Prisoners of war

To compensate for debt. How about that? You know, you can't pay your credit card bills slavery

You could be born into slavery or Even have your parents sell you into slavery now.

We just think that's that's beyond reason We can't imagine doing that But it still happens in the world today there are places in the world where parents sell their children into slavery

Slavery hasn't gone away. It's just changed But it would have been enough for Paul to address this simply to slaves

But he emphasizes the difficulty of the position of being a slave by adding under a yoke

This is slavery in a disadvantaged Situation it is a daily grind.

It is oppressive. It is life on a treadmill So Paul is addressing this to Christian slaves who have unbelieving unreasonable owners

What could be a worse situation I don't care what job you have how about this Your life is not your own.

You've been bought you are owned and It doesn't end when you go home Maybe you don't even have a home

It's 24 -7 Not 9 to 5 not 8 to 5 not 8 to 6 24 -7 and the guy who owned you is unrelentingly hostile and overbearing

Kind of makes you glad to be alive today But how does this apply to you? Well, the principle is applicable that the believer to any believer who has a supervisor or a boss

Who the Christian feels does not treat them, right? Can you relate to that The truth is if you have ever held a job, there's a high likelihood that you can identify with the situation you are overworked underpaid and Underappreciated at least that's what you think.

I Mean, what are some of the things we say, you know, they work me like a dog Now it's one thing if they work you like a dog or like an ox, you know, you're under the yoke

But at least maybe they should recognize your hard work, but maybe they don't I Remember The first job

I got after I got out of the army I was working at alpha beta bagging groceries. Oh How the mighty had fallen

But I had to do something while I was waiting to get on the sheriff's department So I was bagging groceries and I'm telling you what I would get home.

How many of you ever bagged groceries before I Would get home seriously after four or five or six hour shift and I could just wring out my clothes

I mean and I was working in the desert folks. This was rough Because what would I do?

I just I just literally ran almost the whole time I was out there and when it was my turn it never failed when

I was my turn to go get carts You know, you have to go get the carts that people leave out in the parking lot. So I try not to do that You have to go get the carts that are out in the parking lot

And so I go running out there, of course as soon as my time went up Let's say it was quarter to seven as soon as my team came up I go better get out to the parking lot and I'd look and there wasn't one single cart in the rack

Not one. They were all out in the parking lot. I'm going, you know, I just want to find the person who was before me Go, thanks, really

So you go out there and you run all around, you know, you get them all back in and then you know Okay, now it's time for go -backs and you just look and there's a ton

You know of things that need to go back on the shelf and you do all that and you're bagging groceries And meanwhile your co -workers, you know these girls who've been there for a couple years

They're just standing around chatting with the checkers kind of doing this thing. You just go So I've been there for a little while and The boss calls me and he goes, you know, see that I just don't think this is working out

You know, it doesn't doesn't really seem like you're giving us a full effort I You know,

I wanted a helmet can or something you want to follow me around I'm dying out here and he goes he goes

Oh, okay. Well, I didn't you know, I didn't know how hard you're working, you know, fine We'll work with you or whatever. I just thought it took me, you know, like explaining this to you for you to know.

I Did I feel that I appreciated it? Absolutely Absolutely, but it doesn't matter You know,

I had a job and I needed that job. I Wasn't even saved But how are you?

as a Christian supposed to respond to a boss who treats you like cattle and the clear command of Scripture right here

In this verse is that you must imperative command

Think about consider or regard your boss

He's not your owner, but he is your boss or superiors supervisor your individual workplace leader, whatever it is that you call them and In fact, the

Bible calls him a different word despot as worthy of all honor

That term despot our pastor knows a little something about that word stresses authority.

He is in charge unquestioned authority You wouldn't dare go to your owner as a slave and say, you know what you need to Maybe hire some more people and take the load off my back

You know, you need to farm out things or you need to at least recognize when I'm doing give me a raise

You know, how about some I? Don't know. Can I can I have the leftover bread or whatever's in the back?

You know, you wouldn't even think about doing that because he absolutely ruled your life That word despot doesn't really mean much to us these days other than we understand that some rulers and some countries are despots

But consider a few things a Slave's life not his job.

His life was literally in the hands of his despot So you have a lot of advantage over slaves in the

Roman Empire The fact that you may not like authority you may not like What your boss does is more an insight into your thinking than it is a reflection on your boss's behavior

Romans 13 says that there is no authority except from God. I think that goes for governments. I think that goes for our bosses

He put him there But think about how most people respond to having an un

And overbearing and unreasonable boss I used to hear this all the time in the Sheriff's Department I get paid on the 15th and 30th of the month no matter how much or how little

I do in other words translation Why should I work so hard? Why should I stress myself up?

It's not gonna matter ultimately Why should I make my boss look good?

What is she or he ever done for me well for a Christian such thinking is sin

You are to esteem honor and revere your boss And it doesn't say one word there doesn't say you have to like him

Doesn't say that at all But you have to think of his position you have to think of him rightly Now we have two reasons for reverencing your boss two reasons

First of all and these are so critical because a lot of times you know we just we cannot go through these passages

We go yeah, yeah, I get it I have to work hard, but look at this two reasons for reverencing your boss first so that God is not

Blasphemed and you say how does that work so that God is not blasphemed look at verse 1 again?

So the name of God and then I put in a little ellipsis there may not be reviled because there's an end

But so that the name of God may not be reviled and that word reviled is blasphemed

Means to say something about God that is not true to use him as a curse word to think wrongly of him

I mean, that's just not the first thing we think of my work habits my work behavior

Is reflecting a God's reputation on his name Well should be fairly obvious to us a

Slave owner in the ancient world surely would have known if his slave worshipped Christ if he worshipped that strange

God and For you unless you are an undercover Christian Everyone who works around you has a pretty good idea that you're a believer

So when you slog your way through another day when you do just enough to get by When you perform your duties when asked and only when asked and then just barely when you do

All those kind of things in just minimalistic way What do you suppose your boss thinks of your religion and ultimately of your

God? It doesn't think much of them And Paul writes that the name of God Is at stake and it's important for us to think of what is it the name of God mean?

Well, it means it's the equivalent of as we've been going through in Sunday school. It is

All that he is it wraps up. It's representative of who he is when we say

Yahweh He's a covenant -keeping God if we go through all the names of God we find out more and more about him it's like his attributes are tied into his name and ultimately we know him or we get to know more about him by his names and So when we cause or we give reason

For our unbelieving boss To to think less of us and our work.

We are actually dragging God's name through the mud When you fail to honor your boss to give a full effort at work

You're giving cause to unbelievers to revile or literally blaspheme the very name of God to say untrue things about the

Lord because You claim to follow him but fail to live up to him

Now you might wear the t -shirts or the gold cross at work But your work ethic brings shame upon the very

Lord you profess to love How hypocritical is it to get upset when unbelievers use the

Lord's name as a cuss word And yet provide them ammunition to do so That's all the motivation you should need

It's wrong. It's wrong to think like that is wrong to act like that What ought to happen is that your work should be so pleasing to your boss that his desire

Whether he gets saved or not is to hire more and more Christians He ought to be thinking to himself.

I don't understand their faith, but I love the way they work Wasn't long ago.

I remember talking to Marsha Bilton. She told me that Amanda's husband

I Forget his name, but he got a job in Australia What is it?

seven seven got a job and It went so well there that the boss said

You know, I'm really impressed. How do you do it kind of thing? And and he explained it was because of his faith and they had higher demand as a result of that and I'm going that's how

It should be they should think I want more people just like you And our second reason first was that God may not be blasphemed

Second reason is so that the gospel is not blasphemed again. Look at verse 1 so that The teaching may not be reviled

What specific teaching is it that Paul's concerned about the teaching

It's the doctrine all that the Apostles taught all the truths contained in the

New Testament and Scripture Imagine again that you've been going through the motions of work, but suddenly the opportunity presents itself for you

However, it happens to present the gospel to your boss Maybe it's your co -worker

What kind of credibility does the message have given the messenger, you know, we talked about miracles authenticating

The message throughout, you know the periods of the Old Testament and then the New Testament What kind of authentication

Accompanies the gospel when you preach it especially in the workplace Certainly the

Lord can use his word even with the least of all messengers But will you even have an opportunity?

Will you even have an audience? Will anyone listen to you? Again think about all the things you won't do

Because you think avoiding them is the best testimony that you can give unbelievers

You know, I'd never go to an R -rated movie because I wouldn't want anybody to see me go to that R -rated movie I won't go to bars because I don't want to take the chance that somebody would see me going to a bar.

I don't listen to certain kinds of music. I mean, that's one of the things I did when I first got saved

I went through my whole CD collection We do all those kind of things People come up to you and start talking about TV shows that they watch and you just go.

I don't watch that it's probably for your own sanctification as much as anything else, but All the things that we do that set us apart can go right out the window if we don't work hard Christians go to great lengths to separate themselves from the world in so many ways and then at work.

They just act like everyone else On the other hand Imagine working heartily as unto the

Lord to the point where your boss commends you on it and asks you how you stay so motivated

And you say because I wanted the opportunity to preach the gospel to you What could be more important to a

Christian Than who God is and what he has done on their behalf You should never want to give unbelievers reason to speak ill of the

Lord to blaspheme him or all That he represents his word So our first Command was to reverence your boss

And then we had two reasons so that God is not blasphemed and so that the gospel is not blasphemed our second command

Respect your believing boss the first one dealt with unbelievers Now you need to respect your believing boss like a verse to those who have believing masters

Must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers Now imagine being a slave in the ancient world we we talked about it's toilsome

It's burdensome and then coming to Christ What a great I mean you go from a life of drudgery with no hope

Just absolute complete darkness and now you have hope How great would that be?

Now, let's take it a step further What if your owner got saved? You're living in that sort of a

World and your owner gets saved. How would you respond? There might be a temptation you might be tempted to think what you should set me free

I Know that's what I do if I was in your place because I know that you're an image bearer and if I owned you

I'd Let you I let you go. That's the right thing to do. I Mean doesn't your owner does he understand that Christianity means we're all exactly the same

Galatians 328 There's neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is neither feet or no feet male or female

Male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. I Think it's one of the most abused scriptures today

We're talking about it this week how that's used to justify women in ministry But I don't think many slaves would have thought you know, their first thought would have been you know what in Galatians 3

Paul wrote that there's no more slaves. Therefore. You should let me go. Maybe he would

I don't know But there are certain to be difficult times if your owner

Throughout the week toward that 24 -7 owner was just another guy in the

Sunday school room How do you go from you know having fellowship and eating doughnuts together on Sunday?

You know going to the donut room talking about the week and everything like that and then you know Monday morning

What happens it's back to the same old grind. He's the owner. You're the slave That verb is interesting must not be disrespectful this is what it means

Talking about slaves and their believing owners. It says to look down on someone or something with contempt or aversion

With the implication that one considers the object of little value Look down on despise scorn treat with contempt

Just imagine you are a believing slave Your owner is a believer and Paul has to write you to say don't think of them as something with little value

Now I was blessed some of the time that I was on the sheriff's department when after I got saved to have a

Saved supervisor to have a boss who was saved and it makes things a lot easier But I knew guys who would actually who were

Christians who would actually take advantage of the fact that they had a Christian boss But consider this

Any Christian boss that we have Excuse me Any Christian boss that we have now

Doesn't have the right To kill you doesn't own you doesn't have that kind of control over your life

Doesn't have the right to set you freaky, right? I mean that we live in a completely different era Sort of shocking to even think that this would have to be commanded but Keep your finger first Timothy.

Let's look at Philemon Philemon Chapter one for those who are wondering philemon.

There's only one chapter. We're gonna look at verses 10 to 16 Paul writing

Philemon who was a slave owner and It's interesting what he writes here.

Just keeping in this this context in mind Paul writes to Philemon.

He says I appeal to you verse 10. He says I appeal to you for my child Onesimus Whose father

I became in my imprisonment now Paul isn't trying to say that he adopted him. He's trying to say that Onesimus came to faith while they were in prison

Look at verse 11 formerly. He was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and To me

I'm sending him back to you Sending my very heart. I Don't know how

Paul could have written with any more affection about Onesimus than he does right there verse 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me

He's like a son to me In order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel

In other words, I know he was your slave. I know he was useless, but now he's very useful for me

Now that he's come to faith. I'd like him to just stay here and you know, I could just say you know what Philemon Don't worry about Onesimus.

He's here with me and you know what I can really use him But look at verse 14, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent why because he's the despot he's the owner

He had absolute right over Onesimus But I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord

I'm not gonna force you to do the right thing I'm confident you're gonna do the right thing verse 15

For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while that you might have him back forever

No longer as a slave, but more than a slave as a beloved brother Especially to me, but how much more to you both in the flesh and in the

Lord listen Philemon had been saved under Paul's ministry

And he goes on to explain, you know, basically I could have told you what to do you would have respected that But now we're all in this the family of Christ together we're all brothers

You were saved under my ministry so was Onesimus And Paul writes this to appeal on behalf of Onesimus, but never asked for his release

Instead he says this one whose name by the way Onesimus means useful

That's what the name is But he used to be useless why because he was unsaved and probably just doing enough to get by and Then gone, of course

But is now useful not only useful but a beloved brother Someone that he will have fellowship with forever because they have a mutual father

Now if Christ transforms the relationship between slave and master in the ancient world by redeeming them

If he can bring reconciliation like that in the ancient world How much more

Today between a saved boss and a saved employee Yet the temptation to skate might still that's what we used to call it.

I'm just skating. I'm just getting by I Remember in the army they used to call it, you know shamming just shamming

That could exist could exist after all what's what's a saved boss gonna do to you

But that is so backwards that's so upside down it's just wrong Sinful the attitude of getting away with whatever you can

It's exactly what the world does Paul wrote this you go back to first Timothy He wrote this in Colossians 3 don't turn there

Slaves obey and everything those who are your earthly masters Listen not by way of eye service as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart fearing the

Lord Whatever you do work heartily as for the Lord and not for men ultimately your service is to God You can never

I don't care if you have an unbelieving boss or a believing boss You can never go in and just kind of ho -hum punch the clock at 9 punch the clock at 5 go home

And you know, okay now my real life starts Your real life starts at the moment you get up in the morning

Everything you do at church in your horn in your home or on the job

Ought to have one objective to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ Why would you think for a single moment of taking advantage of a brother or sister in Christ whether it's on the job or anywhere else?

If it is wrong and It is to bring reproach upon the Lord by the way, we work for unsaved masters

Why would we think the Lord would be pleased if we slacked off because we have a fellow Christian in charge?

So two reasons and this would be brief here two reasons for respecting your believing boss two reasons

First the benefit of your labor is to your brother look verse two Rather they must serve all the better Says those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved

Rather in the ESV is the Greek word Allah or it's a it's a strong contrast.

It's but but it's the strongest contrast that there is So we could phrase it this way those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers

No, no, no instead They must serve all the better Paul commands you did not take advantage of the situation, but rather to look at your your own situation as advantaged

You're blessed in light of that blessing the familiar pattern of putting off sin slacking off and Putting on righteousness working hard is presented the righteousness

You are to put on it says here is to is to serve and it comes from the same root word as slave does

In other words, you are to conduct yourself as a faithful slave to work like a dog

Is that how you view your work? Do you want to come home and just kind of wring your shirt out at the end of the day and go that was a

Good day. The Lord was pleased Paul gives us another motivation

Those for whom we are exhausting ourselves are our brothers and sisters in Christ whom we love Do you want your brother or sister?

Do you want their business to succeed? I hope so You didn't want your brother or sister to be chosen for a promotion,

I hope that's how you're thinking We love them. We want them to do.

Well, they should want us to do well Now the second reason this is just a

Logical extension there's no nothing here in the verse But this is a logical extension of it. The benefit of your labor

Is to the Lord's work and you say well how so what happens when a Christian owns a business and this succeeds?

What happens when? Christians get raises and promotions of work hopefully

They're going to increase their giving and that's a good thing That's a very good thing

In fact, I could say that I wish that every Christian was rich I pray that every

Christian every Bible -believing Christian would have so much money that they would scoff at the idea of giving a tithe.

I Would I would much prefer that the wallets and purses of Christians were bursting with money?

because those whom the Lord has brought to himself and That he's given every blessing spiritually if he also blesses them financially, what will they do with that?

They'll give to his work We want that I want that and therefore we ought to work hard We ought to work hardly as unto the

Lord no matter who our boss is But especially if we have believing bosses all the more

Not to take advantage of them but to work Then finally look at again in verse 2

He says something it concludes verse 2 with teach and urge these things He says

Teach over and over again teach constantly these things urge or exhort

These things over and over and over again why? Because just like work could get to be drudgery we can

Think of it that way We have to be reminded over and over again that it's a gift and that we are work Working unto the

Lord that we have certain things that we need to do and not do we need to be reminded that blackened -off at work can ultimately lead to blasphemy against God blasphemy against the teaching

We have a natural tendency towards laziness, that's one of the things that happened in the fall We also have a natural tendency towards resentment

Resentment creeps into our hearts if we aren't thinking rightly if we aren't thinking that my motivation my motivation for going and serving

Well, I already said it working today is not so much working for the man

It's not earning that paycheck It's not just enduring the daily grind But it is because the

Lord and Savior who bought me has given me this job He's given me this opportunity and I need to please him in all that.

I do why because I want to set a good Atmosphere at work where I have credibility for the message

And I also if I have a bleeding boss if I you know, well, let's say I'm surrounded by believers I want that business to succeed.

I want it to thrive. I wanted to just go gangbusters When you leave home

When you go to work whether it's in an office or a construction site Whether it's at the

TD Bank North Gardens wherever it is Do you think to yourself

God is watching And so are those who hate him

God is watching and so are those who hate him Do you think that way

When you think you know when you punch in the morning you think well, I'm on the clock. Do you think yourself?

Well now I'm off the Bible. Sometimes we act like that We need to live consistent 24 -7 lives

God he once said I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your

Christ He said in a different setting, but I think he could well have been a

Boss Who had Christians who didn't serve him? I think that's the kind of attitude

That so many Christians have they display But if we think rightly if we think of ourselves as sons and daughters of God having blessings on toll blessings innumerable and Those blessings include the capacity to view work as what it is the gift of God Will change the way we do things

We will change the way we live the way we think during those hours of work.

Let's pray Father in heaven, these are difficult words not because They're difficult to understand

But because we go to a variety of situations that are not easy to live in they're not easy to work through daily

We're confronted by situations that we would prefer not to be in But Lord, would you make it our consistent thought to be pleasing to you at all times?

To not create some artificial division between the natural and the profane

Between or that between the supernatural and profane but between The holiness that we expect of ourselves at church at home

And then the way we might want to let ourselves go at work Would you put your son and your work before us continually that we might be

Ambassadors for Christ in whatever setting we find ourselves That no one would have cause to speak ill of you of Your word of your character or anything about you then instead they might say

I Don't understand their faith But I love the way they work

I'd like to know more about these people Lord make us Your ambassadors indeed all the time 24 -7.