Authority in Employment

Employment

Do you love board games?

Well maybe you’re not into board games but you understand that every game has rules and there’s generally a winner and a loser.

Recently my boys and I have been getting into an 80’s classic board game called Hero Quest. Essentially, I play the dungeon master and the boys work together to defeat my armies to save the princess. It’s a co-operative game but one player has to be the bad guy, who just happens to also be master of the game, they administer the rules and tell the players what they can and can’t do.

Now, playing an intense game with a 5 and a 7-year-old comes with intense emotions. Because the premise of the game is that I’m the bad guy who has stolen the princess and they are in my world subject to my rules. So, it’s a little tense in moments when things don’t go their way, or I trick them and they lose the battle.

Essentially, the are required to be subject to their master, and in this game the master is objectively unjust.

Now, I’m telling you this because it highlights a lesson in the Bible that I wasn’t fully aware of until I spent the last week dwelling in this passage, which will make sense by the end as we unpack God’s word.

Today. we are looking that this passage in 1 Peter, that speaks about submitting to all kind’s of masters, good ones and bad ones. Last week, we were learning from Peter about submitting to the authority of our governments and rulers, and now this week Peter, takes this same message to a part of our lives that we possibly don’t think too much about or we possibly avoid thinking about.

This week, Peter takes us to our places of employment, our places of serving, the place where someone else tells us what to do. Today we will look to unpack this passage from 1 Peter by noticing three stages of Peter’s argument:

1.   Peter starts off with the behavioural goal, be subject and respectful.

2.   Secondly, Peter will show how Christ perfects this behaviour.

3.   Then finally, Peter will wrap up the discussion by telling us how to achieve the desired behavioural goal.

But to appreciate the final stage of the argument, we must begin with the first:

There is a good and right behaviour that Christians are to exhibit in their employment, or serving context.

That is verses 18-20:

Be subject and respectful v18-20

Now I have to ask, could this not be a primary school lesson? I’m sure we all had pretty much the same rules.

“Do as your teacher tells you”, and

“Use your manners.”

Recently we had our boys school parent teacher interviews, though they are called something like collaborative conversations these days. And without prompting, the teachers commented on our boy’s ability to do as they are told and the use of their manners.

Strangely I seemed to have felt more nervous than our kids about it. But the point I’m making is that these behavioural goals, or virtues of being subject and respectful are not exclusive to Christian teaching.

So, we ought to ask, what’s the difference in coming to church on a Sunday and hearing Peter telling us to do as we are told, verses a primary class teacher saying the same thing?

Well, the answer to that question, must be the gospel.

So, let’s see how Peter explains the gospel, so we don’t all leave here with a lesson in the virtue of being subject and respectful.

Now before we rip into the text, let’s not get lost in the words of servants and masters from Peter’s language, he is using an occupation that is well understood across all sections of society. His Greek word choice is not strictly concerned with slaves, so his use of house servants here can be understood simply as an example of a serving under authority situation.

Which is to say that we should all identify with this passage, as all of us in some way are subjects of some master, whether it’s your landlord, tennis coach, or simply the board game dungeon master.

And so, into all of those contexts, Peter is saying that behaviourally we should at all times be subject and respectful regardless of whether we have good masters or bad masters.

Why?

Peter says in verse 19, for this is gracious.

Gracious, that’s an interesting qualifier. Because another way of saying gracious, is to say this behaviour is an act of grace. 

And Peter defines this act of grace in verse 19 as enduring sorrows while suffering unjustly.

That is our behavioural goal. Be subject and respectful enduring sorrows, because this is an act of grace.

Peter even gives guidelines as to what constitutes a proper act of grace in verse 20 “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?”

Clearly stating that it’s not an act of grace to suffer for your own sin.

And this is really important, because we have to recognise that our behaviours do actually matter. We have to take some responsibility for our actions and attitudes especially in the face of injustice.

Essentially, there is no amount of sin that is justifiable in a situation of injustice. No amount of sin.

And Peter continues in verse 20:

“But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God”

Which wraps up Peter’s definition of the behavioural goal of being subject and respectful, enduring suffering, and not sinning.

At which point we might say “cool cool cool cool” I’ve got a pretty bad employment situation, pretty sure I’m being taking advantage of, so thanks Peter, I’ll just keep calm and carry on then shall I?

And the reality for many is that this passage frightens us, to the point where we think is our only choice in life to be walked over by others?

Now, before we answer that question, which we will by the end of the sermon, let me ask a couple of more piercing questions?

In any given situation where you find yourself suffering on account of a master’s actions, how confident are you in your own sinlessness?

Or how about this question

How do you judge the goodness of your master? Are they good because they pay me well and leave me to get on with the task? or are they bad because they keep checking up on me? or they always give me the rubbish task.

See, the reason I’m asking these questions is because, before we jump to conclusions and assume that Peter is talking about us in this passage. We must first be honest with the reality of who we are.

Because this passage isn’t a primary school lesson on good behaviour in the workplace, it’s revealing to us a radical shift in our approach to living in light of what Jesus has done.

Which leads us into Peters next stage of his argument.

Christ, the suffering servant v21-23

Verse 21:

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

Peter continues to say that we are to be subject and respectful because it’s an act of grace, and it’s specifically the reason for which I have been called.

In other words, this is the job description of a Christian, to endure sorrow.

Goodness, you don’t usually see that on the advertisement for a church.

Now, we have to appreciate that verse 21 is the pivot in Peter’s writing, verses 21 - 24 are actually one sentence in the original Greek and that’s important for us to see because helps to understand Peter’s logic.

See verses 18 - 20 have described the behavioural goal or virtue. It is here in verses 21-24 where we find what it takes to truly achieve that virtue.

And we see Peter’s focus change as he continues through the logical steps of his statements. Notice the logic: be subject and respectful to all mastersbecause it’s a gracious thing before God, because this is what you are called to do, because this is what Christ did for you, because he wants you to follow him.

And when we follow Peter’s logic, we can see that his entire argument is centred on the relationship that we have with Christ. The end of verse 21: “So that you might follow in his steps”

You see, the whole point of enduring sorrow especially from an unjust master is that the master and all those witnessing the situation, would experience an act of grace, or better yet, they would experience a gospel moment.

Because what is the gospel? Sure, the word means good news, but is it not also the suffering of an innocent man at the hands of unjust masters?

While at the exact same time, it is also the suffering of an innocent man at the will of the good master? God, the father?

See we call the gospel good news, because it truly is good news that Peter explains in a moments time. But for this moment let us appreciate that the gospel is good news that was delivered through immense pain and suffering of an innocent, sinless man.

And Peter is saying that we too are called to suffer. Follow in the footsteps of Christ, the one who suffered injustice to the point of death. For it is exactly the suffering of Jesus that is the greatest act of Grace given to mankind.

And so here Peter is laying down the point that in the situations of injustice that we face at the hands of our masters, know that we do not suffer alone nor without good cause!

But before Peter, compels the church to suffer like Christ, he makes a caveat. Meaning he qualifies the value of our suffering in light of who Jesus is.

And it’s important that Peter does this, because there is one very significant fact that we must accept, before we embrace the sorrow of an unjust master.

The important truth is, we can’t do what Jesus did.

Now, I don’t know about you but when I follow an example of a wood working project, I find the image of the thing I want to make. Which recently that has been a standing table for the garage.

I work hard to make my product as good as I can achieve. And then when I’ve finished, I compare it to the example that I started from. At which point my wife usually asks me, with all genuineness, if my project is completed or am I just having a break?

I’m not confident I ever produced something as good as the example that I started with. Maybe you have in your projects, however

The point being, how do we compare ourselves to Christ?

See, Peter presents us with some criteria to which we can compare in verse 22:

Christ committed no sin… I can’t claim that

no deceit found in his mouth.… I can’t claim that

when he was reviled, he did not revile in return… I can’t claim that

When he suffered, he did not threaten… Sadly I don’t think I can claim that

but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly… Neither can I claim that, for often I find myself the judge of others, or I listen to people in their judgement of someone and shape my view around that.

And here is the point.

We can’t do all those things that Jesus, who is the Christ, did.

We simply don’t compare to Jesus when it comes to perfectness.

We can’t do it, but Jesus can and did. He suffered perfectly, the injustice against him was 100% unjust.

And that’s the point that Peter is making, Peter is drawing our attention to what Jesus did for us on the cross, because what Jesus did for us is the greatest act of Grace the world has ever experienced. What happened on the cross is the climax of the Gospel, it’s the central piece of God’s redemption plan.

Peter says in verse 24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

That statement there is what all of Peter’s argument comes down to.

Jesus is the sinless man who bore the punishment for our sins through suffering at the hands of unjust masters.

And so, for us, we must first see that Jesus has borne the cost of the punishment for my sin. It was my sin Jesus, not yours. It was my sin that you suffered for with your life as you died upon the cross.

And because Jesus was sinless, it meant that no matter how much sin has ever been produced, or could be produced, Jesus was able to bear the weight of it all. Sin had no grip on the perfect life that Jesus lived. Perfect even in the difficult reality of suffering at the hands of an unjust master.

He died for our sins that we also might die to sin and live to righteousness. That means, because of Jesus, I’m no longer trapped under the burden and weight of my sin, but rather I’m free to live towards righteousness.

All because Jesus has healed the wounds of my sinful heart. My bitter heart, my resentful heart. It has been healed. I no longer have to hold my bitterness, resentment, my sin. Because I have Jesus who takes it from me and gives me a heart of Grace.

A heart of Grace, which is the exact ingredient required for doing that which God calls gracious, for it take a heart of grace to produce an act of Grace.

It is only with a heart of Grace, received through the forgiveness of sin by Jesus, that we can approach the task of living subject and respectful even in the face of an unjust master.

Because for whatever weight of sorrow, whatever pain in suffering, we have Jesus who has paid for our sin, freed us, and guides us with his Spirit to live towards righteousness.

Jesus, gives us a heart of Grace that we would endure suffering at the hands of injustice, And we are to suffer, without sinning so that others would experience the power of the gospel that has healed our heart.

You see, the gospel is not only spoken by word of mouth, the gospel is lived through the actions and behaviours of those who have been forgiven in Jesus’ name.

And so, we suffer, not because we are being Jesus and removing their sins. No, we’ve established that we aren’t anywhere near to being as sinless as Jesus.

So, we suffer because when the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus arises, it will be felt deeply by those who witnessed you suffering through an unjust situation.

And this is not an easy task! One bitter, sinful thought towards your master, should be enough evidence to show us that we cannot even hope to be subject and respectful in our own strength.

And that’s the point of Peter words, be subject and respectful, by turning to the one who has the power to resist sin.

which is our final point today as we apply this passage to our daily lives

Christ, is our strength v24-25

Now I didn’t point this out earlier, but in case you weren’t convinced enough by the logical flow of Peters argument, Peter’s use of Greek verbs adds further clarity,

Back in Verse 18 the verb used to “be subject.” Is set in the passive form. Meaning that Peter is not commanding that we be subject and respectful. Rather he has setup the language of the passage to suggest that we are to be subject, as a result of something else.

Because every passive verb is ultimately enacted when something greater is done. Therefore, verses 18 - 20 serve, not as a behavioural goal for us to achieve, rather these verses serve to describe the life of someone who has understood exactly what enables them to behave in this way.

And so, the commanding verbs of Peter’s argument, are found in verse 21 “that you might follow” and verse 24 “live to righteousness”

Which you will see is the summation of our final verse, verse 25 “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls”

The shepherd and Overseer of our souls is speaking of Jesus who is God. See the application from Peter in this whole passage, he is telling the church to follow our Shepherd, and live to righteousness.

Because we often can forget that Jesus while suffering at the hands of the unjust master, was simultaneously suffering at the will of the good shepherd the overseer of our souls.

Which should give us great comfort as we endure injustice and maintain being subject and respectful. We should have great comfort that our shepherd is with us, overseeing the situation. And he is a good and just judge. God knows exactly the injustice, he knows exactly what is happening.

And he not only has prepared your heart for this. He has also prepared the hearts of those who are masters over us. For God is ruler over all.

Therefore, follow Jesus, and the fruit of that will look like Christians being subject to their masters, respectful of both the good and the unjust.

Now I did ask earlier on, does that mean our only choice in life is to be walked over by others?

And the answer to that is essentially your perception of the situation.

Is it being walked over? Or is it an opportunity for an act of Grace?

Turn to the Gospel, see what Jesus went through to bring you into a right relationship with him. Dwell on that first before anything else.

And that’s no saying that you have to overlook illegal employment situations. Or blindly be exploited by others. If you are concerned about the legality of your employment situation, by all means seek legal advice, just do so with a heart of grace that doesn’t seek to serve yourself, but rather seeks to serve your master by redeeming the situation.

What I’m saying is, it is possible to show grace when we address problems in our workplace. Which Peter is saying, is done by following Jesus and living to righteousness.

Which draws us to the final encouragement as we consider what it means to suffer for Christ,

See, for the boys and I playing our 80’s classic board game HeroQuest, the real joy of the game isn’t found in the actual game itself.

For the boys enjoy the game so much, because even though they face the wicked dungeon master, they play with their fathers presence, they feel the love and guidance their dad.

Which is to highlight the wonderful truth of this passage is that whether we are trapped in a dungeon fighting bad guys, or simply spending our days in difficult situations with difficult masters, be they bosses, coaches, or even the government.

The satisfaction and joy of our lives doesn’t exist in the moments that make up our lives, our true satisfaction is found in Jesus, and the best part is that we don’t have to wait till the suffering is over to experience the joy and comfort of Jesus. Because through his Spirit, Jesus is with us, he is with us in the heat of the suffering, so turn to him, grip to him, follow him!

Let’s pray!

Dear God,

Lord you have borne the weight and cost of our sin, you have suffered at the hands of unjust masters, and yet you have done all this for us.

God you are truly gracious towards us, we pray that you would equip us with strength from your Spirit, that we would live in the footsteps of Jesus, that our behaviours towards our masters would be acts of grace that draw others towards a right relationship with you.

God help us in our suffering, be a close presence to those who struggle in their workplace, sorrowful of what the next day may bring. God strengthen our hearts, and be at work in the hearts of our masters. Lord may your righteousness be experienced and enjoyed by everyone.

We pray in Jesus name

Amen