The Glory of Grace-filled Work

How God’s Grace turns our work into worship.

Paul lays out the qualities that every laborer should have in their work. He is addressing those who are slaves and cannot get out of their situation.

Five qualities of a servant:

Serve obediently.

Serve excellently.

Serve Respectfully. - “I may be sitting up on the outside, but I’m slouching on the inside.”

Serve Honestly.

Serve Loyally.

A Christian ought to be the most faithful, hard-working, trustworthy, respectful person around.

How can we demonstrate these qualities in the midst of a hard situation?

1. Grace reveals that God is Your Eye-witness.

1 Timothy 6:1–2 ESV

Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.

Colossians 3:22 NKJV

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.

Col. 3:

God sees your situation.

God hears you in your difficulty.

Hagar in - Fled from Sarai because she was mistreated. The Lord told her to return.

Ishmael means God hears - God named this child. Whatever his future, God had a purpose and heard her cry, he later heard his cry as well.

El Roi - God sees me!

2. Grace grants us an Eternal Perspective.

God has not written the final chapter yet! He will reward your service. You are not living just for this life, but for the glory of God.

Colossians 3:23–4:1 NKJV

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

We do all our work, not just for the person we are serving, but ultimately for the Lord. This is worship!

3. Grace gives us an Evangelistic Purpose.

We serve obediently, excellently, respectfully, honestly, loyally so that the testimony of God’s saving Grace may go out to a dark world. You are different!

Christ has given us an example of suffering for the purpose of bringing others to Christ.

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It may be that the very person who is causing you the most grief right now has been brought into your life so that they may see an example of God’s grace and encounter the Gospel.

These attitudes only come about when we see that God has given us what we don’t deserve.