WORKPLACE WITNESSES

WORKPLACE WITNESSES September 2, 2007 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction I want to ask you to keep in mind the teaching we covered last Sunday—that our real job is serving Christ, our real boss, the importance of everything we do on the job does not diminish. It actually grows in importance. Our workplace actually becomes the proving ground of our faith. It is there on the job, with its challenges and difficulties, unbelieving coworkers and secular pressures, where we learn to test the mettle of our faith. This is the issue we were introduced to last week in the third chapter of Colossians. Today, on this Labor Day weekend, I want to continue our “on the job” training by focusing on perhaps the primary reason God has given us our jobs. It is an often poorly understood concept and we only touched on it last Sunday. One key reason God has allowed us to work where we work, under the conditions we work, and with the people we work, is that we might, through our behavior and witness, make the gospel teaching attractive to those around us. Watch for this idea as we read two texts from the section of scripture commonly referred to as the pastoral epistles. The first reading is from 1 Timothy 6:1-2, where the elder apostle gives direction to the young pastor, Timothy, in Ephesus. He writes to His prot??how he ought to teach slaves and masters to behave in their employment relationship - All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. There are the things you are to teach and urge on them. You’ll recall that the slave and master relationship relates far more to the employee/employer relationship in our culture. The slavery issue in the day of Paul was not the drastic situation we read of the in the horribly unjust days of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries’ slave trade. That’s not to say that first century slavery was never cruel and dehumanizing. The typical arrangement between master and slave involved mutual respect and mutual benefit in an employment contract. Christian slaves/employees are taught to “consider their masters worthy of full respect”. I love that angle. Even if your boss is not a respectable person you are to consider him or her worthy of full respect and obediently respect them. Ideally the Christian slave would prefer to have a Christian master who, presumably, filled with the Spirit of Christ would be more fair and tolerant than others not so spiritually endowed. Paul said if that is the case, slaves were not to take advantage of that fortunate situation. The second text comes from Titus, chapter two. Titus is another sponsee of Paul, the young man he left in Crete to pastor the infant church there. He advises him similarly: Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. What would any red-blooded master want from his slave, really? Wouldn’t he want a servant he could genuinely trust, even when he was not watching him? What would any redeemed slave who had been made right with God through Christ want from his master, but a good and wholesome relationship? Well, those are both true, but what God wanted was this—that the manner in which the employee carried out his service to his boss would in every way make the teaching about the Savior attractive. How does the good work of an employee make Christian teaching attractive? Let me illustrate negatively. I once met a man at a luncheon who was a vice president of a company. I listened as he struck up a conversation with my friend, a fellow pastor in the area. Once the man learned he pastored a church, he asked my friend in a not-so-kind way, What do you teach your people in your church, anyway? Some of my worst workers say they’re Christians. Don’t invite me to your church, sir, I don’t think I’d be interested. He asked me what line of work I was in, and I told him I was an insurance agent! Now his attitude told me he was probably exaggerating, but that pretty much ruined the rest of the day for my friend and me. Do you think how you choose to live out your Christian faith before your boss and fellow employees might influence how they evaluate the church’s teaching? As your pastor, I can tell you there are occasions when I meet others in the community, and I start to say, Oh, you work there? Do you happen to know so-and-so who works there—and here is where I gulp and hope—she’s a member of our church! I don’t think it self-serving when I say to you that the quality of your Christian walk, as demonstrated in your work, does most definitely affect just how high I can hold my head as I preach and teach in this community! And it is profoundly true that it affects your witness as well, as you, in the words of Philippians 2:15-16, shine like stars in the universe, holding out the word of life. Now I want to share a very positive personal reflection along these lines. Many of you know that I have chosen to use six hours a week on my day off to serve as a volunteer marshal at the Orchards Golf Course. My remuneration is free golf whenever I can get to it (and when my foot isn’t broken!). There are two other brothers from our congregation who likewise work as marshals there, namely Phil Ballas and Mike Seymour. I am so happy to tell you that I don’t back up one step when I am witnessing to golfers and other marshals at the Orchards and I tell them that Phil and Mike are members of the church I pastor. And I’ll tell you why I am proud to make that known. It is precisely because those two men do a good job when they work there. They are well respected as men who do their job well, don’t shirk on their duties, who go the extra mile, and who serve in exemplary fashion. They make me proud to identify with them, and I hope I do as well for them. When one of the golfers or marshals we have influenced comes to visit this church family I know I will be able to preach the Word with transparency and confidence, certain that the truths I teach are vindicated by the lifestyle of my brothers. I’d like to frame the remainder of my instruction with a short list of exhortations I’ve adapted from an inspiring article I read about a year ago. I call it The Five Levels of Workplace Witness. Level One: My very presence in the workplace Because the Lord your God has providentially allowed you to work where you do and among those you work with, and because His purpose is to influence others for His Kingdom through you, your very presence is a witness in the making. Do you know what your calling in the workplace is? You are simply to SMELL GOOD. You deserve an explanation. Let me introduce the “Divine Aroma” principle in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15. Speaking of himself and others who are saved and carrying on in the ministry of spreading the good news, Paul the apostle writes: But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads every- where the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. There is a men’s cologne Charlotte bought me a year or so ago that has a powerful fragrance to it. I want to tell you that when I spray even a little of that on myself and she gets a whiff, she swoons and goes absolutely limp. I want to tell you that—but it’s not true. She does really like it, though. There is an aroma that pervades the people whom God has saved. When activated by our obedience and devotion to Him, it is a most pleasant experience for those to whom we come near. It is a palpable thing. The reason God’s aroma is on us is so that we can influence the people around us for the Lord. Paul will go on to say that said aroma is only pleasant to those whose hearts are open to Him; to others our Christian aroma is noxious. Level Two: The way I do my work Of course that first level of witness is not very strong. Simply being there as a Christian only goes so far in its effectiveness. There is a way to magnify the pungency of our aroma, though. And it has to do with the way I do my work. Zig Ziglar puts a new twist on an old adage: Any job worth doing is worth doing poorly long enough until we learn how to do it well. You may have forgotten this very essential fact: people are watching you. As soon as they discover you are a Christian (and they will in short order, or else you don’t smell like one, and you need to get saved!) they are watching you more intently—some out of curiosity, some because they really want to be blessed by the behaviors of someone who reflects pure goodness, and there are still others who are simply trying to catch you in an inconsistency so they can call you a hypocrite and in some backward fashion make themselves feel better in their sin. With that inspection in mind, I want to remind you in the strongest terms that the very best thing you can do under the microscope of others is to do a good job in the job you’ve been given. When I was first saved I was working on the crating floor of a stove manufacturing company, stenciling model numbers and shipping labels on cardboard cartons. The Monday after I was baptized into Christ I knew instinctively—by that I mean the Spirit of God was impressing on me—that it made a big difference to God and onlookers how well I did my otherwise almost meaningless job. I believe that I had been a pretty good worker as a heathen, but I started inking my roller a little better and setting my labels a little straighter and working a little faster and more intently. In fact, it wasn’t a week or so later that the union rep came up and suggested to me in no uncertain terms that I ought to slow down because I was making the other employees look bad. I don’t want you to think I am bragging—I was still a sinner then and still am now, but I’m illustrating that the Spirit was confirming in me that I was working for God now, and He deserved my best. Don’t forget, Matthew 5:16 teaches us to let our lights shine before others, so that they may see [our] good deeds and praise [our] Father in heaven. I resubmit the quote from last week: Being a good witness won’t necessarily make you a better worker, but being a good work will make you a better witness. Martin Luther King, Jr.: If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. Level 3: When I Approach Work Issues in a Godly Manner We are called to be witnesses for Christ through our mere presence in the workplace (smelling good); secondly, by doing our job well, even if it is so menial as labeling cardboard or washing windows. The third level is about our being prepared to approach issues at work in a godly manner. For example, when the boss gets up on the wrong side of the bed, he always seems to step on you, doesn’t he? How you react to his belligerence, how you humbly take an even unjust scolding—these things are opportunities to witness to Christ’s living in you. I have been in positions of earthly authority just enough to know that when a subordinate demonstrates a good attitude when he is being remonstrated, that is something I remember. It is something that impresses me. 1 Peter 2: Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God…Christ suffered for you, leaving you and example that you should follow in his steps…When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly…it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men…show proper respect to everyone… (1 Peter 2:18-19, 21,23, 15) By the way, when good things happen to you on the job, you are given recognition or promoted or given a raise, there is a way to receive such things that clearly signals your humble testimony that you consider it for what it really is—a blessing from God. It is only the proud heart that gloats. When the opportunity comes to rejoice over the promotion of a fellow employee, show your genuine joy for him. So what if everyone knows he didn’t really deserve it—that’s not your problem. What is really going on—the actual kingdom thing that is happening—is that God is granting you an opportunity to demonstrate the character of Christ. As you do you win two things: the approval of God and the trust of others whom you may one day have the privilege of helping to lead to Christ. Always approach work issues in a godly manner. Level Four: When I Introduce Biblical Perspectives As you build trust in your rapport with fellow workers—including not only those downline from you but also those upline—you are going to be given opportunities to help them see truth in their everyday experiences. As those around you go through life’s exigencies—death of loved ones, relationship breakdowns, anxiety, tragedies, and so on—know this: God has placed you on the job near that person as His personal chaplain for them. The Bible says that we are called to be available to others, as God’s ambassadors. Galatians 6:9-10 makes it clear: Let us not become weary in doing good…as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people… I have a neighbor I have been trying to be a good influence to. He’s told me, “Look, Rich, I like you guys. And if I ever decide that my family is going to go to church, it will be your church. But don’t lean on me.” I stopped leaning. I decided this was one time I should just be patient and wait for opportunities from the Lord. One day he came to my front door to ask a favor. He was going on a job interview—a job he really wanted. He didn’t know how to tie a tie, and he asked me if I would tie his tie. There on the front porch I draped my arms over his shoulders and whipped up a nice Windsor. He was sheepishly grateful. Before he walked home I asked if I could pray for him and his interview. “Sure,” he said. I put one hand back on his shoulder and asked God to give Him favor. He got the job. A few months ago, he came to my front door again, dressed in a white shirt, holding a tie, asking for help. As I helped him I asked, “Another job interview?” “No,” he said. “My dad died and we’re going to the visitation.” Once more we prayed on the front porch. He wept. He left. I hope I get to tie his tie again. When we faithfully serve—and often wait—opportunities grow. And it’s only because trust grows. Please understand, I am no hero in this case—in fact, I feel like the biggest failure every time I approach this young man, but God—God—keeps providing opportunities. Which brings me to my last step Step Five: When I Lay Hold of Spirit-given Opportunities Sooner or later, as we lay the groundwork of loving service and let trust build, and as God dances that mysterious dance of conviction and free will with people, sooner or later, the opportunity will come to share meaningfully our personal testimony and our scriptural instruction about salvation in the name of Jesus. In the meantime, we have been given our homework: pray and prepare. Pray for the lost person, that the blinders placed by the enemy will be lifted, that strongholds of thought that stand against the knowledge of God would crumble, and that this person for whom Jesus died will open his heart to truly hear and respond to the gospel. Pray. Page two of our homework assignment is Prepare. 1 Peter 3:15 admonishes us with utmost clarity and simplicity. …be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is in you.     [Back to Top]