The Biblical Doctrine of Work: Diligence Matters

Last Sunday we began looking at a short series on the biblical doctrine of work. I began by giving you Dorothy Sayers pithy definition of it: Sayers tells us that, from a biblical perspective, work "... is the gracious expression of creative energy in the service of others." Let me give you the full quote: “Christians must revive a centuries old view of humankind as made in the image of God, the eternal Craftsman, and of work as a source of fulfillment and blessing not as a necessary drudgery to be undergone for the purpose of making money, but as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God. That it should, in fact, be thought of as a creative activity undertaken for the love of the work itself; and that man, made in God’s image, should make things, as God makes them, for the sake of doing well a thing that is well worth doing.”

If God cares about every area of our life — and He does — then Christians must believe that God cares about the part of our life where-in we spend 40–60 hours a week of our life. The key attribute that is to guide our biblical understanding of work is found in the word repeatedly used by the psalmist in the book of Proverbs — it is the word diligence. Sayers alludes to this characteristic when she writes that we are to work for the sake of doing well what ever it is we find ourselves doing in our vocation.

As we continue looking at the biblical Doctrine of Work this morning, I want us to consider the importance of diligence in your vocation. Diligence is simply careful and persistent work or effort. The word implies conscientiousness, industriousness, rigor, perseverance, and zeal. It’s antonyms include, negligence, slackness, idleness, indolence, laziness.

Solomon contrasts this virtue of diligence with the vice of laziness. The reward of diligence, according to Solomon, is that the soul is made fat — which is his way of saying that diligence breeds satisfaction.

This morning, I want to concentrate on the diligence part of these verses. What are believers to be diligent at? What are we to pursue with conviction, persistence and dedication? In my study this week, I simply looked up everywhere in the bible where the word diligent is found. In doing that, I discovered three areas of life where the believer is encouraged to be diligent:

1. We are to be diligent in our career work

2. We are to be diligent in our family work

3. We are to be diligent in our spiritual works

I. THE DILIGENT MAN APPLIES HIMSELF TO HIS DAILY BUSINESS

"Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully." (Proverbs 10:4-5, NASB95)

"For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9 not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." (2 Thessalonians 3:7-10, NASB95)

1. diligence in our vocation and business is a repetitive theme in the Book of Proverbs and throughout the Scriptures

2. God’s commandment, establishing a day of rest, says, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Ex. 20:9)

a. industry is not only commended, it is commanded

b. it’s also common sense, because Solomon tells us “lazy hands make a man poor”

ILLUS. German pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “The first hour of the day belongs to God in worship, the other hours of the day belong to God in work.”

3.Solomon reminds us that the most happy and productive people are those who are diligent in their labors for the support of their family, the betterment of mankind, and the glory of God

A. GOD CREATED US TO BE INDUSTRIOUS AND WORK TO BE A BLESSING

1. for the believer the central question in regard to our work is what is your attitude toward it?

a. is work supposed to be a joy or is it a grim necessity?

b. is your job simply something you do in between weekends, or is it a ministry opportunity where you do it unto God’s glory and a witness for Christ?

2. Christ encouraged His disciples to be salt and light — change agents in the world around them

a. one of the very best environments for us to accomplish that is in the work place

3. this is the core of what we’ve traditionally called the Protestant work ethic

a. it’s not just about working hard

b. the Protestant work ethic is all about understanding why we should work hard

" ... whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31, NASB95)

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:17, NASB95)

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men," (Colossians 3:23, NASB95)

4. in the book of 2 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul emphasized the witness of work

a. in his letter to these Christians, Paul had written primarily about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

1) they had a lot of questions that he sought to give them answers to

b. because some were expecting the return of Christ at any moment, many had quit their jobs and were not interested in doing anything else

c. the result was two-fold

1) they had become a physical burden to their families and others in the church who felt obligated to support them

2) they had become nosy busybodies peering into everyone else’s business

2 Thessalonians 3:11 "We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies."

3) their idleness was a poor reflection on Christ and the Church

5. their decision points to a basic flaw in their attitude toward work

a. they did not see work as being a spiritual matter

b. nothing could be further from Biblical truth

6. God created us to be industrious and work to be a blessing

B. GOD CREATED WORK AS A WAY FOR MAN TO FLOURISH

1. the biblical understanding of work is incredibly positive

a. virtually all of the nations around Israel viewed work — especially manual labor — as demeaning

ILLUS. The Greeks believed that work, especially menial work, was not only demeaning, it was evil. In the Greek creation accounts, Earth had been created as a paradise, but it lacked men and animals. Zeus summons his sons Prometheus (fore-thought) and Epimetheus (after-thought), and commands them to go to Earth and create men and animals. They do, and men live blissfully in Paradise until Epimetheus‘s wife shows up with a box given to her by Zeus. Her name in Pandora. The box is never to be opened ... but you know the story, Pandora’ curiosity gets the best of her and she opens the box. When she does out pours all kinds of evil to afflict mankind — death, disease, disaster, aging and sickness, and work. Work comes out of Pandora's box. To the Greeks, work — especially manual work — was considered a curse. The Greek philosopher Aristotle went so far as to say that to be unemployed was good fortune because it allowed a person to participate in the life of contemplation.

The Babylonian creation account has a similar view of work. In the Enûma Eliš the Babylonian gods create the world only to discover that it's hard work keeping their creation going. They hadn’t expected creating and maintaining the world to be so physically taxing. Finally, Marmaduke, the leading Babylonian God, says, "I'll create a lowly, primitive creature whom I'll call “man” and to him shall be charged all the labor so that the gods may have rest." And so in the Babylonian accounts, man is created to do the work of maintaining creation because the gods believe such work is beneath them.

2. in absolute contrast to these religious texts of ancient times you go to the book of Genesis and one of the first thing you see is God getting his hands dirty — God doing manual labor

a. God spoke all things into creation until he got to man, and when he got to man he formed us out of the clay of the earth

3. in biblical theology work is not beneath God, and this was astounding to the other cultures of the day

a. on top of that when God places man into the Paradise that He is created, man's primary job is to take care of what God is made

1) in Paradise human flourishing involves work; manual labor

4. and on top of all this, when God came into the world as the incarnate son he came as a carpenter — a man calloused hands, and bulging biceps

a. the point is, work is part of God’s created order, given to us so that we might flourish

b. you'll never prosper, you'll never thrive emotionally or spiritually if you're not working

5. The Diligent Man Applies Himself to His Daily Business

II. THE DILIGENT MAN APPLIES HIMSELF TO HIS FAMILY’S WELFARE

"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7, NASB95)

"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8, NASB95)

1. the New Testament frequently refers to churches in houses

a. one of several examples is found in the Book of Philemon where the Apostle Paul, speaking to Philemon, refers to “the church in your house”

b. for a number of years after the Christian movement began, no buildings existed exclusively for churches

c. because the Christians met in homes, one could quit appropriately write about ‘the church in your house’

2. in a sense, every Christian home should function as a church in miniature

a. home is a place were ...

1) physical needs are met

2) emotional support is provided ...

3) spiritual development is encouraged ...

4) ministry opportunities are sought and practiced

3. sadly, we may be watching the death of marriage and the family as we know it

a. among the many factors contributing to its destruction are

1) immorality

2) adultery

3) fornication

4) homosexuality

5) abortion

6) women’s liberation, and

7) materialism

b. all those things are like strands in a cord that is strangling the family

c. marriage and family have both been redefined

4. if the culture is going to survive, Christians need to restore the divine pattern found in the Scriptures

a. our marriages and families should demonstrate a way of living that is ...

1) rewarding

2) meaningful

3) fulfilling

b. this takes diligence and perseverance

5. ultimately, the family is a place where biblical principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living

A. PASSING ON SPIRITUAL HERITAGE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK WE MUST BE DILIGENT IN

1. the importance of parents passing along their spiritual heritage to their children cannot be underestimated

a. the these words that God is referring to in Deuteronomy 6:4-7 are the Scriptures — in particular the commandments of God

b. virtually every event in life is to be a teachable moment of biblical truth and application between a parent and child

1) the commands of the Lord are to be discussed when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way

2) they are to be the first thing you talk about in the morning and the last thing you talk about at night

2. the vast majority of parents in our society work diligently to provide physically for their children

a. they make sure their children go to school and receive and education

3. but what is lacking in too many homes is the forwarding of spiritual heritage

ILLUS. When I was working in my home church’s bus ministry, I saw this all the time. One night a week, the bus ministry teams would take the busses out into various neighborhood to seek out children. If we saw a group of kids playing, we’d call them over and perform some magic tricks or tell them a short bible story. Then we’d ask them if they would be interested in riding the bus to church. If they said yes, we’d always go talk to their parents. We would identify ourselves, tell them about our church and it’s children’s ministry and what our pick up and drop off times were. Time and again I’d hear a parent say, (most usually the father), “Yeah, it’s about time me kid started getting some religion.”

All would go well for weeks or months until the child made a profession of faith, and wanted to be baptized. When we would go talk to the parents about it, the response was often (again, most usually the father), “You’re not making a Baptist out of my kid,” and the child was often pulled out of church.

4. passing on their spiritual heritage is the most important task a parent has

a. the church can help, but your’s is the primary responsibility for it — you must work at it diligently

III. THE DILIGENT MAN APPLIES HIMSELF TO HIS SPIRITUAL WALK

"You should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you. 18 “You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you ... " (Deuteronomy 6:17-18, NASB95)

"For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins." (2 Peter 1:4-9, NASB95)

1. the Christian life is a very serious business

a. but most Christians have made it sort of an extracurricular activity

1) it is not something to be taken into the business world or the schoolroom or into one’s social life

b. Peter, however, tells us that our life in Christ is something to which we are to give all diligence

2. it takes every bit of persistence and effort a Christian can muster, along with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, to “escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” that the apostle refers to in 2 Peter 1:4

3. the believer must work hard at cultivating the seven qualities Peter listed in verses 5-7

a. this list is often referred to as The Seven Graces of the Christian Life

1) love

2) brotherly kindness

3) godliness

4) perseverance

5) self-control

6) goodness

7) faith

4. Christians thus face two staggering possibilities

a. on the one hand, we can work to develop these qualities in increasing measure in our lives, and thus find a deepening experience of the Lord leading to a fruitful Christian life

b. on the other hand, we can ignore these graces, but – according to the Apostle Peter – this response is short-sighted, even blind, as it overlooks, even ignores, our wondrous salvation in Christ Jesus

5. these are graces that we need to constantly strive to infuse into our character and conduct

a. as a Christian does so, he becomes more like Christ, participating more fully in God’s divine nature

6. The Diligent Man Applies Himself to His Spiritual Walk

"The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat." (Proverbs 13:4, NASB95)

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