Wise Work

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SERIES DESCRIPTION: In this series called wise up, Pastor Shawn and Krista explore the wisdom of Proverbs. This week, Shawn explores the topic of wise work; unpacking what it looks like to work as a sacred act of worship. If you want to bring more meaning to your 9-5, this message is for you.

Altar Instructions: Please come up when I begin the last point “Be people who REST.”

Series | Wise Up

Pre-Message Welcome

Grace Place family! It’s awesome to have you here with us today, whether in person or online.

I’m Shawn, and along with my wife, we serve as the Co-Pastors of this incredible church.

At The Grace Place, our mission is clear: we are Caring People, Caring for People.

We pray that you experience God’s in our time together.

Spanish Welcome - 2nd Service ONLY!

A nuestra familia de habla hispana .... Bienvenidos… es-pera-mos que usted… y su familia.. se-sien-tan bien a-tend-idos también.

To our Spanish speaking family... welcome, we hope you and your family feels cared for as well.

4th of July Acknowledgment

Yesterday morning over 50 of us started our 250th year as a nation in prayer. It was a beautiful time Honoring our God together, Thanking Him and thinking about our many blessings as a nation - repenting and asking Him for help for the many ways…The Church has missed it and miss represent Him… We prayed for our National Leaders, revival and an awakening in America. Not just for ourselves… alone - so we can impact the nations… for the sake of God

This is our 250 Birthday as a Nations…

If you have traveled a little… you can see what a blessing it is for us as a nation to have the vantage point of History as our for fathers built this country with the wisdom of many generations before them that shaped what we call the United States of America. Far from perfect… but RICHLY BLESSED.

I believe One of the greatest freedoms we have in this country is - the freedom of religion. This is the only reason we can gather and raise our voice to God. Post about him on Social Media… talk about Him in the Public square.

Before we get into the message today….

Pastor Plug: Water Baptism

July 19th - followers of Jesus - this is your next step

Transition: We’re in week 5 of our series we’re calling

Series | Wise Up

Sub title: Wisdom for a chaotic world.

Series Intro

WISE UP...

This is a series on the book of Proverbs where we're tackling the question every one of us has asked: Why do I keep making the same bad decisions? Here's the thing: life without wisdom is chaotic and uncertain, but life with wisdom is full of order and peace.

If we get this wrong…

We'll keep repeating the same cycles and teach the people we love… that foolishness is acceptable.

God didn't make wisdom hard to learn… its Available to anyone who will open the book.

The key text for today is found in

Key text: Prov. 16:3

Proverbs 16:3 ESV

It says…. Commit your what? work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Our work is for the Lord…

Our work is WORSHIP…

Transition: Today we'll be talking about …

Sermon Title | Wise WORK

***Feel free to encourage people to listen to the Holy Spirit speak to them personally as the message is preached

LETS PRAY

YOU CAN WALK OFF THE STAGE WHEN YOU SAY AMEN

Introduction

When you clock in tomorrow morning, whether it’s at an office, a job site, a kitchen, or your home office, do you think of that as a spiritual activity?

Many think of work… as the necessary grind - to afford their groceries, and living expenses.

Prov. say’s how you work… is worship.

When we clock-in… we’re clocking into a time of WORSHIP because Our work is to be committed unto the Lord.

When we look at larger story of the Bible… We see

The story of God and his creation

In Gen. 1 and 2, at the very beginning of the Bible… we see God at work, creating and crafting the world. before sin ever entered the world, God placed Adam and Eve in the garden and invited them to work.

Working with God is a joy,

But we also see…

That’s made work hard… as it introduced thorns and sweat… as a part of it’s curse.

I believe one day in eternity… we will work again as designed in the Garden.

This is called the…

Theology of Work

It work Defines why we work and how we work as a reflection of God to the world.

If I could sum up the theology of work in a couple of sentences, here's what I would say.

As humans made in the image of God, we work as a reflection of Him. By the help of the Holy Spirit, through our minds we create, by our hands we labor, and through our influence we lead; all this as we participate in the mission of God. This work is a sacred act of worship.

What is your Theology of work?

If we don’t get this today… here’s…

What’s at stake?

Let's look at it on the screen together.

If we Misunderstand the biblical ideas of work, we'll spend our lives grinding for a paycheck, building our own kingdoms. Missing our oportunity to worship God through work as our sacred act of worship.

Transition: We're talking about…

Sermon Title | Wise WORK

I just want to warn you today might be a little convicting… I know it is for me.

What does it look like to work… as a sacred act of worship?

Looking across the treasures of Proverbs… in no particular order…

If work is worship… then we should …. IN YOUR NOTES…

Be people who SHOW up . Prov. 10:4, Prov. 12:24

Yea - Christians should be…. the one’s… counted on… most.

We see this in…

Proverbs 10:4 ESV

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

God hasn’t called us to be slackers but workers.

This means… God expects us to SHOW UP… not occasionally, but consistently.

IN YOUR NOTES…

Gods workers… bring their SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY to work.

We are saying to those we work with… I’m here; you don’t just have my physcal presence or just my skills, you have all of me. My mind, will emotions, attention.

***Aren’t you glad doesn’t show up in our life occasionally? But he is FAITHFUL… you can count on him like you can count on the sun rising & setting every DAY - to do its part… its job.

We too should Be FULLY present as workers… the same way God is.

Attentive, ready to go… teeth brushed, hair combed, dressed properly, and EYES UP, smile, good attitude. (Let me repeat that)

Ready to serve people where they are at… NOT where we want them to be.

IN YOUR NOTES…

These kinds of workers rise to the TOP.

Prov. says it like this…

Proverbs 12:24 ESV

The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.

Those who show up diligently… are often promoted… if you want raises and promotion… start showing with all of you, your spirit, soul, and body ready to serve.

STORY: Shawns Career/Minsitry Journey

I have risen in every environment I have ever been in, not becuase i’m the smartest, or most talented… but becuase most of the time I show up with ALL OF ME… I even began rising in an organization while working In the banking industry for a short period… In which I had no previous experience…

I'm telling you, God's Word works.

Here is the question for you today…

Question: What 5 words would you use to describe how you show up at work?

Better yet, what are five words others would use to describe how you show up at work?

This, my friend This is your act of worship. Are you happy with it? Are you proud of it?

You want to know something I typically start preparing for my day at least 3 hrs before I hit the office which is only 6min from my house. WHY to PREPARE MYSELF to show up. If I rolled in 30-45min after I just woke up - I would be showing up as a very unprepared version of me. I don’t want to show up for God like that.

It's not a joking matter. Spiritual matters. Some of you need to take it more seriously.

If work is worship… then we should…. IN YOUR NOTES…

Be people who work HARD and WISE. Prov. 10:4-5

Yea… we don’t just show up… what we do when we arrive… matters.

We see this in…

Proverbs 10:4 ESV

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

How many know what the opposite of a slacker is?

Right… a hard worker. God's saying his people should be hard workers.

IN YOUR NOTES…

Gods workers always OUT-WORK the slackers.

This should not even be a question. There should not even be a wonder about your work ethic.

Being a hard worker is a mark of Christianity… this will save you a lot of drama. Because while others are huddled up complaining… waisting company money and productivity… You are hard at work… You don't have time to be involved in the drama.

God workers work hard… IN YOUR NOTES…

These kinds of workers ALSO…work SMARTER.

Yeah, God's workers work hard and SMART. You can’t have one without the other…

We see this in… Prov. 10:5 it say’s

Proverbs 10:5 ESV

He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

Being a hard worker is not just about exhausting yourself… but also about working on the right things at the right times.

How many of you know that busy doesn't mean productive.

It doesn’t matter how much time your putting in… if your work does not bear fruit.

This is what it means to work HARD & WISE.

Arn’t you Glad God works hard & wisely to redeem your heart…. He knows what to say and when you’re the most receptive to his word.

Here is the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: Is your work producing the fruit you want?

If so, keep it up… if not, its time to re direct your work efforts… adjust your focus.

Becuase your work is WORSHIP…

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If work is worship… then we should …. IN YOUR NOTES…

Be people who are TEACHABLE Prov. 22:29, 26:16

Willing to learn, improving their craft,…ready to receive feedback and accountability.

We see this in…

Prov. 22:29

Proverbs 22:29 ESV

Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

A man who is skillful is evidence of a man who is teachable… There is no story in the Bible of a successful man who is full of pride and unwilling to learn.

Let me say it like this IN YOUR NOTES

Gods workers must remain TEACHABLE it’s our act of worship.

Prov. say’s he will stand before kings…

Here is the point… is NOT popularity with the powerful…

Here is what scripture is saying… when God finds a teachable person, there is nothing He can not do through them.

They are like CLAY in the potters hand. It’s also true that its hard for hardened clay to be molded…

Which are you most like? Moldable or hardened clay?

Those who are not teachable often think… they’ve already arrived and there is nothing more to learn.. their selective in who they will humble themselves to and learn from… (A teachable person can learn from anyone.)

STORY: I think of Reese Hallmark - he is constantly asking for feed back from people all around him to grow and learn. I told him the other day… Reese, I am learning from you.

Those who remain teachable will soar past those who presume to already know.

Prov. 26:16 says it like this…

Proverbs 26:16 ESV

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes… than seven men who can answer sensibly.

Perhaps the most place to be is when you become too wise to learn… you ignore even sensible WISDOM - WOW

Let me say it like this…

Show me a person that’s UNTEACHABLE, and I will show you a person who will never IMPROVE.

Friends, the unteachable are rarely trusted with more…. than what they already have.

How can you know if your unteachable:

People quit giving you feed back, advise, help, they quit inviting you to the table.

You find yourself saying, “I know, I know” whenever your parent, boss, and trusted friends advise you, or attempt to coach you.

It’s clear when someone is unteachable.

So soak it up, listen well, say thank you… and prove you know… by applying what you have learned.

Here is the question…

Question: Whats one way you can invite more feedback?

To become more teachable

If you're unsure how teachable you are, just ask a friend.

If work is worship… then we should…. IN YOUR NOTES…

Be people without EXCUSES Prov. 26:13

We see this in…

Prov. 26:13

Proverbs 26:13 NLT

The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”

THEY CLAIM - but They can’t prove it… BUT THEY ARE SURE OF it…

Some people, without even fact-checking, come up with excuses as to why they can not get the job done…

Scripture say’s… You are Lazy. Im too nice to day that…

Your lazy because you have the opportunity to work… and you chose excuses over work… you have convinced yourself they are true and now obstacles that your unwilling to overcome.

In your notes..

PAUSE

PAUSE -CLIP BEGINING

EXCUSES are the language of the lazy;

Excuses always sound reasonable to the person giving them.

And excuses are infections, they spread like wildfire.

Let me tell you, a person full of excuses is a person who will eventually be fired.

***Aren’t you Glad God did not close the story of man…. with sin and the fall…

Aren't you glad he didn't make excuses and say, well… look at what satan did, he looks pretty determined to me. I guess that's it. which Satan was…

That's not what God did. …. our God made no excuses - he made a way.

****I said God did NOT make excuse… he made a way!

PAUSE -CLIP ENDING

Let me say it like this…

Gods workers are SOLUTION oriented.

We were made in the image of God.

God is still making a way… if you look up… and look beyond the obstacles in front of you.

God wants to use your creativity… Your intellect… To see where he's making a way… in the obstacle that stands right in front of you

Here is the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: What excuses are you making that holds you back?

Are you frustrated? You feel like there's obstacle after obstacle in front of you. God's inviting you to look with fresh eyes today. To be solution-oriented

Trans

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If work is worship… then we should …. IN YOUR NOTES…

Be people who REST Prov. 3:24

We see this in…

Proverbs 3:24 ESV

If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Lying, slowing down should be a peaceful experiance that many simply resist.

Some need to hear this…

Don’t be a Workaholic. (No excuses)

How do you know you have learned this rhythm of work and rest?

When you have the ability rest and be un afraid of the quiet as Prov. 3:24 says…

Some have attempted this… they squirm… and they rush back to work becuase they don’t like what they discover about themselves in the quiet.

Let me challenge those of you who can not sit with yourself in the quiet… IN YOUR NOTES

God workers are most like Him when they both WORK and REST.

Friends… LEARN TO REST… its part of being a healthy worker.

STORY: One of my good friends called me this week… just started his vacation. And said, “I feel so guilty, when I take time off.”

I know exactly how he feels…

Becuase by nature… Im a striver.. if I'm not careful, striving & work becomes my god. The flesh kicks and screams to work, prove, and earn… it never stops.

When vacation starts for me… I used to get squirmy… checking emails, updating to-do lists. Check in on everything I'm supposed to be resting from. Now… I discipline myself to shut off the outside world… and deal with my inner world. The quiet - forces me to sit with myself - as a husband, Dad, and man… a part from my role as Pastor.

Here’s what I believe… IN YOUR NOTES

REST is spiritual battle; it demonstrates TRUST in God.

I trust that you know how to get things done when I rest.

I trust that you're still moving… When I'm resting

I trust that it does not all depend upon me…

I recognize that I am not the savior… You are….

The enemy doesn't want you rested and refreshed. He wants you defeated and depleted. And one of his favorite strategies is to make you feel guilty for doing the very thing God commanded you to do - REST.

Wen we WORK & REST… we are being most like God.

Here is the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: What do your work & rest rhythms look like?

Weekly

One day of rest a week.

Annually

Family / extended time off.

Close

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Study Content

Attitude - Care - Smile - make eye contact - hold your head up - look around - notice a need and offer help

Work brings results: Prov. 14:23 (This point might bleed into or go well with the previous one on Work Wisely)

Proverbs 14:23 NIV

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs is specifically calling out people who plan, discuss, strategize but never execute. There's a kind of busyness that never produces anything.

There is also a time to pull the plug and do something different.

If what you're investing all your time in is not producing a living income, it's time to do something that will be fruitful.

Transition: As I close today….

Shawn, carefully think through your altar response. Always consider how hard it may be for people to respond, especially when it may be interpersonal things between church members. Always consider bringing everybody up front for a more general invite than praying more specifically for them while they're up there. An example of this was during the Wise Friends sermon. People who needed to make difficult decisions, possibly cutting off a friend, I invited them to come up for the altar, and nobody came (for all obvious reasons). There's always a way better way to deal with hearts - full transparency with the body is NOT always the way.

So today… if you do NOT know Jesus as your Lord and Savior today is your day…

Salvation Altar Call

I believe Jesus is here today, and He wants to save you. Salvation simply means to deliver or to free. It’s not just about delivering you…

It’s about believing

Believing in Jesus means trusting what He say’s—about sin, and eternal punishment, thats the bad news.

The good news is this… that His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins, making us right with God.

Ephesians 2:8 reminds us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Salvation requires two things:

1. God’s Grace—His undeserved gift of forgiveness and life because of His love for you.

2. Faith—placing your trust in Him for salvation.

If you’ve never asked Jesus to save you, today is your day. If you’d like ask him… , raise your hand.

I want to invite you to Repeat a prayer after me

· There is nothing magical in this prayer.. it simply is a way of declaring to Jesus what has taken place in your heart.

Here is how I would like to end the service for everyone else….

Call to Action Altar Call

We’re going to end the service with A question as we do nearly every week.

ALL ACROSS THE ROOM – HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT spoken to you in anyway today?

Resources

Book:The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament (Second Addition) by Keener, Craig S.

Going Deeper

In 5 words describe how you are showing up at your work? Prov. 10:4, 12:24

Is your work producing the fruit you want? Prov. 10:4-5

Whats one way you can invite more feedback? Prov. 22:29, Prov, 26:16

What excuses are you making that is holding you back? Prov. 26:13

What does your work & rest rhythms look like? Prov. 3:24

What might the Holy Spirit be saying to you in light of this teaching?

How might the Holy Spirit want to transform you in light of this teaching?

What actions might the Holy Spirit want to take in light of this teaching?

Tongues & Interpretation

1. To STRENGTHEN the Church (1 Cor14:5)

For prophecy is greater than SPEAKING in TONGUES, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be STRENGTHENED.

Believers, God has operated through this gift today to strengthen you today. Let your faith be strengthened and know that God is in control and using supernatural measures to speak to us.

2. Is a SIGN for unbelievers. (1Cor. 14: 21a, 22)

1 Corinthians 14:21–22 (ESV)

In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

22 -  So you see that speaking in tongues is a SIGN, not for believers, but for UNBELIEVERS.

The Bible explains to us God has chosen to use this gift to be a sign for you. A sign for what? It is a sign of his realness for those of you who have been doubting or questioning the existence of God. He wants you to know he is REAL and he wants to bring you spiritual life and health. If you're in here today and you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior... he wants you to know he has gone to great lengths to show you his love today. (Great opportunity for a salvation altar call if it fits).