Ephesians 6:5-9
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-What are the most common issues at work:
My grandfather Archie Ezell worked at the paper mill in Natchez, MS. The mill closed years ago and I was talking to a former worker several years back. Here is what he said - we were making good money, but some of the workers thought they needed more so they went on strike and instead of raising their wages they closed the doors.
-Greed is the issue, employees want more money, employers want to play employees less money so that they can make more
-We have seen how the gospel affects our relationships:
-wives submitting to their husbands, husbands loving their wives sacrificially, children obeying their parents, fathers training their children - all of these out of submission to Christ
-Now employer and employees relate out of submission to Christ
-we also notice in these relationships there is a leaders and follower
-husband leads the wife
-father leads his children
-employer leads the employee
-How are we to work? How are we to lead in the workplace? Are we to be a different person at work than we are at home? with our faith family?
-both are to submit out of reverence for Christ
-Now why is this text about the work relationship when it says slaves and masters?
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
-the idea of a household servant, we may struggle with this passage - it may seem as if Paul is encouraging slavery, why would he not speak on abolishing slavery?
-its not a proper understanding of that day and time. In this time employment usually was concentrated to a home - whether it be workers who worked in the fields with the crops, or individuals working at the market, but the home was the center of it all - Paul is dealing with the workplace in that time
-the Bible never affirms an oppressive slavery system
In Biblical times not all slavery was good, but where it was good, where a servant was serving a just and fair and equitable master and giving a fair service to that master for a fair wage and properly cared for, it was no different than employment.
-The Bible does not condone a concept of owning people, mistreating them, neglecting them, harming them physically
39 “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave:
-v. 46 shall not rule over them ruthlessly
16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
-It is the idea of employment, not ownership of the person, or mistreatment
-I mean if you think about it - an agreement for services for a period of time to receive resources - what do we do with a job - provide services and receive resources as a result
-There is also this thought - what if Jesus and Paul focused on the slavery system and abolishing it? Would that have fixed the main issue, no because the main issue is sin, deal with the sin and it would affect all oppression
Work in Submission to Christ
Work in Submission to Christ
-obey your masters
9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,
-follow their commands, be an obedient employee
-when you go to work be an obedient employee, have integrity to do what you are supposed to, to do what is asked of you, we have all heard and seen employees not do what is expected of them
-they may say but you don’t know my employer
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
-obey your employer unless it is something against God or immoral
-you ought to please God rather than man
-Now why would Paul say this? Why should we put up with employers? Why should we obey? Well think about it - if you had an attitude of I am a Christian, I am not going to listen to this boss anymore what would it do to your testimony?
-being a Christian does not make you a lazy worker, or to be disgruntled, but to do an honest faithful day’s of work
-What do you do if it is a constant strain? What if you are unhappy? Don’t feel like you are getting paid enough? Change jobs, don’t stay and become bitter and hurt your testimony
-with fear and trembling
-perhaps thats how you feel about your job, but its not what we think
-really should be translated reverence and respect
-you obey them with reverence and respect because God has placed them in that position
1 Timothy 6 - to honor your master
-sincere heart - honest, upright, loyal commitment
-again integrity
11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
-as unto Christ, work as if it were for Christ
-There is no difference in your life at work and at home
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
-everything you do is to be for Christ, how you treat others
-not for eye service, not as people pleasers but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, doing good as to the Lord and not men
-integrity, you work not for eye service, you work even when no one is watching, because the Lord is always watching
-I heard someone say just the other day about not getting comments from others on the job they are doing, they are wanting human affirmation, we may never get human affirmation, but the affirmation from God is what we are striving for
-your work place is a mission field
Lead in Submission to Christ
Lead in Submission to Christ
-Notice - do the same to them
-integrity, treat them as unto the Lord
-Lead their employees with integrity, with reverence and respect, with loyal commitment
-to treat employees with respect, to care for them out of submission to Christ
-Never be any form of abuse, never should be neglect or with-holding pay
-treat employees in this way knowing that your Master is in heaven
-treat employees as Christ treats you
-the workplace is a mission field
RC Sproul - We are not free to do what is right in our own eyes, we are called to do what is right in His eyes