The Pilgrim Christian in the workplace.

First Baptist Church Leominster

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:04

This word that our brother

00:28

Jason brings before us, if we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Over the last couple of months, we have been unpacking what it means to live life as a

00:55

Christian pilgrim. What it means to live life as one who does not belong to this temporal world, but one who belongs to the eternal kingdom of the

01:06

Lord Jesus Christ. Peter began this discussion in 1 Peter 2, verse 11, by urging his readers to live as sojourners and exiles, to abstain from the passions of the flesh, and to keep their conduct honorable amongst the

01:25

Gentiles. As we walk through this world, our behavior should be characterized by holiness.

01:34

Our actions and our behavior should be without spot and without blemish.

01:40

As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, our behavior should not give our critics, or the critics of Christianity, any fodder for their assaults against us, or the church, or the

01:52

Lord Jesus Christ. Our behavior must be worthy. It must be excellent.

01:59

It must be honorable. Fully pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ.

02:05

So much so, that when evil is spoken against the children of God, the accusers and the world might see our good deeds and glorify the

02:15

Lord God on the day they are visited with salvation. In 1

02:21

Peter 2, verse 13, Peter commands his readers, as sojourners and exiles, to be subject to every human institution.

02:32

As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, our responsibility is to be subject to the Lord God, by being subject to those whom the

02:41

Lord God has appointed over us. Christians are not to be characterized by aggression, or rebellion, or civil disobedience, but by quiet and voluntary submission to our earthly authorities.

02:57

Romans 13, verses 1 and 2, says, For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

03:08

Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

03:19

To submit to our earthly authorities that the Lord God has placed over us is, in fact, the will of God.

03:26

And it is by doing the will of God, by doing good, that we will silence the ignorance of foolish people.

03:35

Beloved, the manner in which we live our lives is an unspoken testimony. It is an unspoken sermon.

03:42

It is an unspoken rebuke to the critics and opponents of Christianity.

03:51

To a hostile and watching world, the holiness and purity of our lives should reflect the holiness and purity of our

04:01

Heavenly Father. And so, we are to live as free men. We are to live as men who have been freed from the penalty of sin, as men who have been freed from the power of sin.

04:13

We are to live as men and women who have been set free from the bondage of the adversary, the bondage of the world and the things in the world.

04:24

Galatians 5 .13 says, For you are called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

04:37

Beloved, we must live as servants of the Lord God. Our lives are to be lived in service to Him and in service to one another.

04:48

As Christians, we must strive to live our lives in service to the King, to the praise, glory and honor of the

04:56

King. In short, we must honor everyone. We must love the brotherhood.

05:03

We must fear God. And we must honor the Emperor. In our passage this morning,

05:11

Peter continues this line of thought, but now he addresses how the pilgrim Christian is to behave in the workplace.

05:20

Please turn with me to the book of 1 Peter. Our text this morning is 1 Peter 2, verses 18 to 20.

05:28

1 Peter 2, 18 to 20. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust.

05:45

For this is a gracious thing, when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

05:54

For what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

06:07

Here in this passage, we see the mandate of submission, verse 18a, the attitude of submission, verse 18b, and the motive for submission, verses 19 through 20.

06:22

Let's take a look at each one in detail. 1 Timothy 2, 18. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust.

06:37

Just as citizens are to be subject to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good, so are servants commanded to be subject to their masters.

06:54

The Greek word translated servants refers to a household slave or to one who serves the owner of the home.

07:02

And this term was used to speak of all who were under the authority of the one and the same householder.

07:11

On the use of this term, Matthew Henry remarked, by servants, he means those who were strictly such, whether hired or bought with money or taken in wars or born in the house or those who served by contract for a limited time as apprentices.

07:29

The term servants can refer to any one of these. A servant's service was rendered to the master of the house, to him who had authority, to him who had control, to him who had the power.

07:44

And servants are commanded to be subject to their masters. Now the

07:50

Greek term translated subject literally means to arrange under or to order in a systematic and orderly fashion.

07:58

And this term was commonly used by the military to describe troops falling into rank and ordering themselves under their commanding officer.

08:08

Soldiers fall in line and submit themselves to the chain of command, following their superior's instructions, their orders, and their will.

08:19

It's interesting, the command to be subject is also in the present tense, which means that it is calling for submission to be an ongoing continual lifestyle or an ongoing habitual actions.

08:33

Servants are to be continually placing themselves under their masters in an orderly fashion.

08:40

Servants are to continually fall in line and be submissive to the direction and command of their masters.

08:48

Now, it's important to note that in submitting to our masters, we should never be focused on their personality, but rather on their position of authority.

09:00

In other words, we need to view our masters not as acting on their own behalf, but acting on behalf of the

09:07

Lord God. In doing this, we recognize that our authority, our masters, and our employers are actually instruments in the hands of our

09:17

God. Beloved, if we look at authority as acting on their own behalf, it can become very easy to be angry and to get frustrated, which will allow bitterness to set in and take root.

09:34

But if we look at our authorities as acting on behalf of the Lord God, as the Lord God has ordained, then we will be sanctified.

09:45

Then we will be made holy. For those who love God, Romans 8, 28, all things work together for good.

09:55

All things, including our masters, including difficult masters, including unjust masters, including deceitful and ungodly masters, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.

10:15

And what is the Lord's purpose? God's purpose is our conformity to the image of Christ, Romans 8, 29.

10:24

For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his

10:30

Son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Beloved, the

10:36

Lord God is more concerned with your character than he is your comfort.

10:42

Your relationship with your master or your employer is one of the means by which the

10:48

Lord God will use to sanctify you. All authority is from the

10:53

Lord God, and the Lord God has a reason why you find yourself in your current situation.

10:58

And that reason is your sanctification, your ongoing conformity to the image of Christ.

11:07

Servants be subject to your masters. Now this command is a continuation from Peter's previous charge for all believers to submit themselves for the

11:18

Lord's sake to every human institution. This same motivation for the

11:24

Lord's sake certainly applies to the relationship between masters and servants, or employers and employees.

11:34

It's also important to remember to whom Peter is speaking. Peter is speaking to the elect exiles of the dispersion, to those who were scattered all throughout

11:44

Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. And many of these exiles would have been slaves.

11:53

Many of these exiles would have been involuntary slaves. At the time that Peter wrote this letter, the dominant social structure in the

12:03

Roman Empire was slavery, and it is estimated that there were as many as 60 million slaves scattered throughout the

12:11

Roman Empire. As the Roman Empire began to expand and conquer more and more lands, foreign captives were taken by force and they were made to submit.

12:24

And these captives lived out the rest of their lives under the yoke of Roman slavery and oppression.

12:32

Another means to acquire slaves was kidnapping. Men and women and children were taken against their will and they were committed to live as slaves of the empire.

12:42

Also, those who lived in extreme poverty or those who found themselves in debt would often sell themselves into slavery for their own survival or to pay off the debt that was owed.

12:56

At this time, most slaves lived miserable and oppressive lives, and it was commonplace for slaves to suffer brutal mistreatment at the hands of their masters, beatings, brandings, and all other sorts of abuse.

13:12

But some slaves were better off than others. Some slaves were well -educated and served in important positions.

13:21

Many slaves served as doctors, teachers, managers, musicians, craftsmen, and some could even own slaves.

13:30

In fact, oftentimes slaves were better educated than their masters whom they served.

13:37

William Barclay commented, it would be wrong to think that the lot of slaves was always wretched and unhappy and that they were always treated with cruelty.

13:47

Many slaves were loved and trusted members of the family, but one great inescapable fact dominated the whole situation.

13:56

In Roman law, a slave was not a person but a thing, and he had absolutely no legal rights whatsoever.

14:07

For that reason, there could be no such thing as justice where a slave was concerned. Aristotle, the

14:14

Greek philosopher, wrote, there can be no friendship or justice towards inanimate things. Indeed, not even towards a horse or an ox, nor yet towards a slave as a slave.

14:27

For master and slave have nothing in common. A slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slave.

14:36

Another writer sums up the relationship between master and slave as, whatever a master does to a slave, undeservedly, in anger, willingly, unwillingly, in forgetfulness, after careful thought, knowingly, unknowingly, is judgment, justice, and law.

14:57

In light of these comments, you can just imagine the despair and hopelessness and burden of oppression that slaves lived under during this time.

15:09

To be a slave meant that you had absolutely no rights. You had no protection.

15:15

You had no legal recourse to which you could appeal if mistreated. A slave, separate from his master, had no practical, individual, or independent existence.

15:27

Apart from their masters, slaves were alone and without an advocate.

15:32

A slave was regarded as an object, as a tool, a possession, to be wielded at the whim and discretion of the master.

15:44

Now, even in the midst of this social and cultural context, the mandate to be submissive is crystal clear.

15:53

Servants, be subject to your masters. Ephesians 6, verses 5 through 9, slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart as you would

16:08

Christ, not by way of eye service and people pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a goodwill as to the

16:20

Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the

16:26

Lord, whether he is a slave or free. First Timothy 6, verse 1 says, let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.

16:43

Titus 2, verses 9 and 10, slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything.

16:49

They are to be well -pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our

16:59

Savior. Now, these passages not only apply to slaves and servants, but also to apprentices and to contractors, to part -time employers, to part -time, to full -time employees.

17:15

Employees are to be subject to obey, to yield, to fall in line, to subordinate, and to be submissive to their employers.

17:25

In your submission, it's also very important to make sure that you have the right attitude.

17:32

Look again at our passage, 1 Peter 2, verse 18. Servants be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust.

17:44

What is the right attitude of a servant? Peter adds the qualifying phrase, with all respect.

17:52

Now the Greek word for respect is phobos, which literally means in all fear.

17:59

In other words, be subject to your masters in all fear.

18:05

And the idea that is being conveyed here is a reverence which induces respect and faithfulness to one's duty.

18:13

It's descriptive of an attitude of healthy fear which motivates servants to conduct themselves in a manner that pleases their masters on earth, and thus, their master in heaven.

18:26

The Lord God wants all believers to have a respect for the system of authority in the master -servant, employer -employee relationship.

18:36

A reverence for the Lord God, who is our true master, should motivate and empower us to submit respectfully to all those whom the

18:46

Lord God has put in authority over us. To whom should our fear be directed?

18:53

To our masters? No, to the Lord God. The phrase with all respect is a reference to the fear of God.

19:01

In every instance of the word fear used in 1 Peter, which is five times, the term is always directed towards the

19:08

Lord God and not to man. We are to fear the Lord God, not human institutions, not the emperor, not our fellow man, but God.

19:20

To live in the fear of the Lord is to live with a sense of awe and wonder at the character of God. It means that you will have such a high reverence, such a high regard for God, that it will impact, every aspect of your life, it will impact every aspect of your work, including your most menial and most despised tasks.

19:42

To live in the fear of the Lord is to worship him, adore him, respect him, obey him, and submit to him in every area of life, even in the midst of suffering and trials.

19:55

It is our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, our fear of the Lord Jesus Christ, that serves as the basis for our obedience.

20:06

Colossians 3 .22, slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye service, as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the

20:20

Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the

20:27

Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the

20:32

Lord Christ. The phrase obey in everything is a comprehensive list, and it ranges from the most enjoyable duties to our most dreaded and despised duties.

20:45

In everything, we must be subject to our masters. Now, note, the obedience that the

20:53

Lord God requires of a slave is not by way of eye service. It's not an external service, nor is it performing a duty with a reluctant and sour attitude as those who people please, as those who fear men.

21:07

Rather, our service is to please the Lord God by working with a sincere heart, by working in the fear of the

21:15

Lord, by working hard for the Lord, by working with an eternal perspective.

21:22

Beloved, our obedience to our earthly masters, our submission to our employers in everything must be carried out with the same fervor and the same intensity and the same diligence that you serve the

21:36

Lord Jesus Christ. I've always found this passage, Colossians 3, 22 through 24, to be a great comfort and encouragement amidst difficult work environments.

21:50

Whatever you do, work heartily as for the

21:55

Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

22:01

You are serving the Lord Christ. I haven't always been a pastor.

22:08

I've had quite a few different jobs in my lifetime. In my late teens,

22:14

I was a commercial fisherman. In my 20s, I was a truck driver. Then I was an IT consultant.

22:20

Then I was a software engineer. I was a heavy equipment operator. And most recently,

22:25

I was a groundman for the municipal light department. So I dug holes, installed telephone poles, and cut down trees.

22:34

And in every single one of these jobs, I never really enjoyed what I was doing.

22:40

Some of these jobs were better than others, but I was never really thrilled about getting up and going to work in the morning.

22:48

None of these jobs were very meaningful for me. None of these jobs were personally fulfilling. The people

22:54

I worked with were often great, but the jobs themselves were more or less a means to an end, and that end was a paycheck.

23:04

Quite often, it was really hard to maintain a right attitude. It was really hard to maintain an eternal perspective in the midst of these jobs.

23:14

After being in ministry as a pastor for 10 years, in 2016, I found myself working at a scrapyard, which was a very dark and rough place to work.

23:26

I was a crane operator, and I loaded and unloaded trucks with a giant magnet or a clamshell grapple, which sounds really cool, but in reality, it was a very repetitive and tedious job.

23:40

And since I was the newest crane operator, I was given the worst crane in the entire yard. It leaked hydraulic oil, so the windows were always oily and filthy.

23:49

It had no air conditioning, so on a warm day, the cab would reach temperatures well over 100 degrees.

23:56

It had no defrost. It had no windshield wipers. It had no radio. And the other shift operators were smokers, so the crane always smelled of smoke.

24:06

The controls were always sticky, and they always left pornographic material in the cab.

24:12

It was really a miserable place to work. And before my shift,

24:18

I would park my car in the employee lot, and I would walk slowly through the gates, and I'd make my way down the long road to the yard, and I would pray the entire time,

24:28

Lord, please help me today. Lord, please be merciful for me today. Please be gracious with me today.

24:35

How long, Lord? How long will I have to endure? It was extremely difficult to keep a right perspective during this time.

24:43

It was really hard to keep a positive attitude. It was hard not to complain and mumble.

24:49

It was hard not to feel sorry for myself. And I would eventually reach the break room.

24:55

I'd wait in line to clock in, and in my spirit, I would recite Colossians 3 .23.

25:01

And I did this every day. Whatever you do, work heartily as for the

25:06

Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

25:12

You are serving the Lord Christ. In my job as a crane operator,

25:19

I was serving the Lord Christ. As a crane operator, I was to work heartily as for the

25:26

Lord and not for men. It didn't matter how I was treated there, if I was yelled at or ridiculed or disregarded.

25:33

It didn't matter how tedious or boring or dull the day might be. I was to work as for the

25:40

Lord and not for men. I was to work heartily. Whatever you do, work heartily, work hard as for the

25:52

Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

25:59

Beloved, always remember this truth. In your employment, you are serving the

26:04

Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be reminded of this truth. Whether you're at the office, at home, or on the road, whether you're under scrutiny, whether no one's watching you, you are serving the

26:17

Lord Christ. And thus, slaves, servants, and employees must be subject to your earthly authorities with all respect in the fear of the

26:28

Lord. Now you may be thinking, easier said than done. You have no idea how demeaning and difficult it is to do my job.

26:37

You have no idea what it's like to work under my boss. You have no idea how poorly I am treated.

26:44

Well, that's true, I don't. But take a look at 1 Peter 2 .18. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust.

27:00

Our respectful submission is not to extend only to the good and gentle masters, to the good and gentle and reasonable employers, but to those who are unjust and unreasonable.

27:14

Our respectful submission is to extend to the most demeaning and difficult employers.

27:22

The terms good and gentle here describe someone who is upright, someone who is beneficial. It describes someone who is reasonable and fair.

27:30

And these terms describe someone who is very virtuous and gracious. The kind of master to whom it would be very easy to submit to.

27:41

The Lord God desires that we not only submit to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unjust.

27:48

We are called to submit to those to whom it would not be easy to submit.

27:55

The Greek word translated unjust is skolios, meaning bent or crooked or curved.

28:01

And it can be translated as wicked or surly or perverse. And it refers to someone who is unfair, someone who is harsh, someone who is difficult to deal with, unkind, ungracious, difficult.

28:18

I've had multiple employers who fit this description. And I know firsthand the difficulty of working under someone who is unjust.

28:27

I used to play racquetball at lunch with a handful of my coworkers. And one day my boss decided to join us.

28:35

And he and I played three games. And I just happened to beat him all three games.

28:41

At the end of our lunch hour, instead of going back to the office, he wanted to continue to play.

28:47

So we played again. And I beat him again. And again. And again. We kept playing.

28:53

And we ended up taking like a two and a half hour lunch break. And I could tell he wasn't very happy about losing.

28:59

But I was thrilled that I got to spend the extra time not working. Later that afternoon, he called me into his office.

29:09

And HR was with him. And I was given a verbal warning for taking an extended lunch break without permission.

29:16

I thought he was joking. And so I poked fun at his racquetball skills. And stone cold serious, he said

29:23

I needed to be more respectful of him and more diligent in my use of time. Now, it was his idea to keep playing.

29:31

So I was angry. And I was irritated at the injustice of this situation. But I also knew this passage.

29:38

I knew that I needed to be subject to my master with all respect. Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust.

29:47

And it was very difficult for me in that moment. But I did everything

29:53

I could to try to be respectful of him. I did everything I could to be diligent in my use of time.

29:59

I wasn't always successful. I still failed. I still grumbled. But I made a conscious effort to treat him with all respect.

30:09

Matthew Henry remarked, the sinful misconduct of one relation does not justify the sinful behavior of the other.

30:16

A servant is bound to his duty, though the master be sinfully inclined and perverse.

30:23

Now again, you may say, you don't know my boss. You don't know the difficulty that I'm under.

30:29

You don't know my situation. And it's true, I don't. But the

30:34

Lord God does. And the Lord God has promised never to test us beyond what we can endure.

30:41

1 Corinthians 10, 13 says, no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

30:48

God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with a temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.

30:59

Beloved, there is just no getting around it. There are no exceptions. It does not matter if your boss is good and gentle or if your boss is unjust and perverse.

31:09

The mandate of the Lord is clear. Be subject with all respect.

31:16

Now today, if someone has a boss who is unjust or wicked or perverse, bent or crooked, most likely we're going to go look for another job.

31:27

We're going to walk away. We're not going to endure that kind of suffering. Life is just too short.

31:33

It's not worth it. But remember, in their culture, in the cultural context in which 1

31:41

Peter was written, you simply did not have that option. There was no way for you to walk away.

31:47

There was no way for you to find a better job. The reason being, you were a slave.

31:54

You had no legal rights. You had no recourse. And the master owned the slave.

32:01

And however the master decided to treat the slave, whatever the master decided to do with the slave was judgment, justice, and law.

32:11

The only option for a slave, the only option for a servant was submission.

32:19

The mandate of submission, be subject to your master's. The attitude of submission, with all respect.

32:28

And lastly, the motive of submission. This is a gracious thing, 1

32:35

Peter 2, 19 through 20, for this is a gracious thing when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

32:44

For what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure, but if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure?

32:51

This is a gracious thing in the sight of God. The motive for our submission, our submission is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

33:03

Our submission to our masters, to those who are good and gentle, but especially to those who are harsh and unjust, is a gracious thing in the sight of the

33:12

Lord God. Our submission to authority in the midst of unjust suffering is commendable.

33:18

Our submission to unjust authority pleases the Lord God. Here, Peter is asserting that unjust suffering is a gracious thing.

33:29

It is a commendable thing. It is to your credit, it is to your benefit to suffer pain, harsh treatment, and persecution so long as you are mindful of God.

33:43

What does that mean? What does it mean to be mindful of God? The phrase mindful of God refers to our relationship with God.

33:53

It is a conscious awareness of God, a conscious awareness of His presence, a conscious awareness of His sovereign control,

34:02

His power, and His dominion. In other words, in the midst of unjust suffering, you will have an eternal perspective.

34:11

In the midst of unjust suffering, you are aware that the Lord God is near. You are aware that the

34:17

Lord God is watching. You are aware that the Lord God is carrying out His divine purpose for His glory and for your good.

34:29

You're aware of James chapter 1. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

34:48

You're aware of 2 Corinthians 4, 17 through 18, for momentary light affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison, while we look at the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen, for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are not seen are eternal.

35:11

You're aware of Romans 8, 18. Paul says, I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed to us.

35:24

Beloved, always be mindful of God. Always be mindful of these things.

35:30

Be mindful of eternity and the great reward and inheritance that is waiting for you. Unjust suffering, while being mindful of God, has great significance.

35:40

It has great value. However, if it is your sin that is causing you suffering in the workplace, if it is your error, then there is no benefit.

35:57

There is no value. There is no merit. In other words, suffering for unrighteousness sake or suffering as a result of wrongdoing has no temporal or eternal significance.

36:11

Our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, if that is causing you suffering in the workplace, then rejoice.

36:18

Then count it all joy. For your suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

36:26

An eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison. First Peter 2 .20

36:31

says, for what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

36:42

What credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? The answer is, there is no credit.

36:51

If you sin and suffer harsh treatment as a result of your sin, there is no credit.

36:56

There is no benefit. There is no value. If you sin and suffer harsh treatment as a result of your sin, you are receiving justice.

37:06

You are receiving what is owed. You are receiving what you deserve. There is no virtue in suffering for our sins.

37:15

There is no glory in suffering for our sins. There is certainly no glory in the

37:22

Lord God in our suffering for our sins. Suffering for our own sin will not mark us out as Christians, nor will it attract others to Christianity.

37:31

If anything, it will hinder and impede the spread of the gospel. But if when you do good and suffer for it, and you endure, then this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

37:49

Suffering patiently for righteousness' sake, suffering patiently for well -doing, is what pleases and glorifies the

37:55

Lord God. To those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, enduring unjust suffering is completely unnatural.

38:04

It's completely counterintuitive. It is contrary to every one of man's natural impulses and desires.

38:11

The reason being, their eyes are fixed upon the things of this world. Their eyes are fixed upon the temporal.

38:18

Their eyes are fixed upon themselves and their comfort. As for us, our eyes are fixed upon the eternal, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

38:32

Our eyes are fixed upon our kingdom, our kingdom that is not of this world. Our eyes are fixed upon our inheritance, our imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance, which is kept and guarded in heaven.

38:47

Our eyes are fixed upon a loving and compassionate God, who is all -powerful, all -knowing, and all -sovereign.

38:55

This is one of the recurring themes throughout the book of 1 Peter, 1 Peter 3 .14, but even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.

39:06

Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. 1 Peter 4 .14, if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of God, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

39:21

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler.

39:26

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify

39:31

God in that name. When being mindful of God, we suffer unjustly.

39:40

We not only please the Lord God, but by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people.

39:48

By our actions and by our testimony, we proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ, and the message of his gospel is clearly seen throughout the world.

39:59

John MacArthur remarked, it should be of little consequence to believers what their circumstances are in the workplace.

40:08

Whether they are chief executive officers or custodians, whether they receive a substantial pay raise or settle for a salary cut so that the company can stay solvent, the factor of their overarching significance is that they maintain their testimony before a watching world of sinners.

40:27

And in the workplace, that occurs when believers labor with an awareness of God's glory.

40:35

Such an awareness is the motivation not only for godly behavior and submission on the job, but also for trusting in God's sovereignty in every situation.

40:49

Beloved, endure suffering. Endure sorrow while suffering unjustly.

41:01

Patiently endure your difficulties, for this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

41:08

Be subject to the authority that the Lord God has put over you and fall in line. And when things get difficult, labor with an awareness of God's glory.

41:18

Be mindful of God. Be mindful of his character.

41:26

God is good. God is just. He will always do what is right.

41:33

God is faithful. He will never let you be tempted beyond your ability. Be mindful of his purpose.

41:41

God is doing something in your life, and God is using the authority that has been placed over you for your good, for your spiritual good, and for his ultimate glory.

41:53

Our God is omniscient. Our God is all -knowing. Our God is all -wise. He knows exactly what he is doing.

42:01

He knows the beginning, and he knows the end. You may not understand it, but the

42:09

Lord God most assuredly does. Trust him. Be mindful of eternity.

42:18

You are a sojourner. You are an exile. You are a pilgrim.

42:24

You do not belong to this world. You are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. The difficulties and the issues that you face today are but momentary, light afflictions.

42:40

Thus, be subject, for the Lord's sake, to every human institution.

42:47

Be subject to your masters with all respect, to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust.

42:55

Do good. And if you suffer for it, endure, persevere, for this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

43:08

Let's pray. Our Father, we confess our shortcomings in all of these things.

43:21

Lord, very often we are focused on the temporal. We're not focused on the eternal. Very often we are fixated on our own lives and our own problems and our own issues, and we forget,

43:33

Lord, that you have a plan, and you have a purpose, and you are orchestrating all things for our good.

43:41

We thank you, Lord, that we can trust in you. We thank you that your word is reliable. We thank you that you are a faithful God, but Lord, increase our faith.

43:52

Help us to live in light of these truths. Help us never to forget these things. We pray,

43:59

Lord, that in difficult circumstances, we would submit to our employers. We would submit to our authorities, not with our words only, but Lord, with everything in us.

44:11

In all things, Lord, help us to be subject to our leaders. We pray,

44:17

Lord, that you would give us wisdom in this. Give us wisdom when we speak out, when we just bite our tongues.

44:26

We pray, Lord, that you would give us wisdom in all of these areas. These things aren't straightforward. They're very difficult, and we're thankful that we have the word of truth to guide us as a shining light.

44:38

So we pray, Lord, that you would enlighten us in these areas. Help us, Lord, to put you first.