UNITY – Part 13 – Workplace Dynamics

Passage:
“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality.” (Ephesians 6:5-9)
Prayer:
Introduction:
Paul is at the point in Ephesians where he has grown SO insanely practical on the topic of unity and how the gospel should affect our life.
  • The first three chapters of the book talking about the gospel way up here –
    • talking about what the gospel did to us at salvation – how it changes our standing before God – the big stuff
  • Then in chapters 4-5 – he says – ok – with all of that in mind – here is how the gospel affects how you treat each other within the four walls of the church
  • and now in the end of chapter five and six – Paul focuses on probably the most practical part of how the gospel affects our lives – on a daily basis.
He focuses in on the home and in the workplace
He gives us a couple principles to live by in the workplace
  • Serve Sacredly
  • Serve Missionaly
Let’s look down at that first one here.
Serve Sacredly:
“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, (5-6)
    • Your job – whether in the church or outside the church – is sacred. Because your true authority – no matter where you are is Jesus
      • and your service at your job is actually at its core – worship to Christ.
Serve Missionaly:
doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or free. (6-8)
Next Paul says not only is our job worship and sacred – but our jobs also have a purpose
Paul says – we obey – we treat our work like worship because we are called to “do the will of God from the heart”
  • we must redefine what work is and why we go there.
  • Masters:
Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality.” (9)
To masters – or bosses – he says do the same to them
  • so just as we talked about employees – serving sacredly,
    • serving with good intentions, giving of yourself, living out your faith, search to build up those around
    • Do the same for your employees.
    • And Paul here levels the playing field – he says just as your employees or slaves in that case – submit you – you submit them – because your master in heaven thinks of both of you as the same – no matter how much power you think you have.
  • The ground at the cross is level.
So this morning – as we go from here – and go about mothers day and jump into work tomrorow – I want you – whether you are a boss or an employee I want you to ask two questions?
  • Am I working sacredly? Am I viewing my job as an extension of my worship as if I am working for Jesus himself?
  • and am I working missionaly? Am I considering the eternal impacts of my job?

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