Working 9 to 5
A Christian response to Authority • Sermon • Submitted
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Authority
Authority
God the Father is the ultimate source of authority.
Christ - All authority in heaven and earth has been giving to me.
Holly Spirit - Told in Pauls first letter to the Church of Thessolanica “Do not quench the Spirit.”
The Bible - It is authoritative.
Government - Romans 13 : For there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God.
Daniel 20:21: He removes kings and established kings.
Authority in the Home:
Today we are going to look at how a Christian should respond to authority in the workplace.
Some of you are like: You haven’t been to my job, god ain’t there. He is! If you are a disciple of Christ, and you are at work, then God is there, because He lives in you.
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Slaves - antebellum slavery where africans were kidnapped and transported to the then British Colonies and forced into labor. A practice which continued after the formation of our nation and was abolished Lincoln.
But when you see the word slaves in the Bible, there is a much different meaning and much different application then what we see in modern history.
IMPORTANT: Not because of politically correct reasons, but because we need to be sensitive and not be careless with the word. There are people that will be turned off to God, Christ and the Bible, never knowing the joy of being filled with the Holy Spirit, because they think the God of the Bible condoned the African-American Slave trade.” All the while, nothing could be further from the truth, and you may be the only person to be able to liberate them from that heresy.
Slavery as described in the bible was not based on race.
2. African slaves were seen as sub-human. While
slaves/masters in the bible are seen as equal before
God. We will see that in the text this morning.
3. The Israelites had a history of being enslaved by
Egypt for 400 years and so their view on owning
slaves was a compassionate one.
4. It was illegal to kidnap, enslave and sell people.
16 “He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.
5. Slavery was often a contractual agreement to work
off a debt, and after 7 years, weather the debt was
repaid or not, the slave would be free.
6. Greco-Roman slavery in the NT. The slaves were well
educated. They were often given the responsibility of
teaching their masters and their family.
I read a Washington Post article titled: The Bible was used to justify slavery. Then Africans made it their path to freedom.
Pre- Civil War slave owners perverted the bible and just ignored many parts of it to justify slavery, but as slaves learned to read, and read the bible, they learned the truth about what the bible really said about slaves, and more importantly truth about what the bible said about Jesus.
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
It doesn’t matter who signs your check, work for the One that pays the bills.
It doesn’t matter who signs your check, work for the One that pays the bills.
Sincerity of heart- as to Christ.
With good will, render service as to the Lord.
Have you every worked for a boss that will roll their sleeves up and get in the muck with you? Regardless of how dirty, or hot, or stinking, or dangerous, they are right there leading the charge. When that’s your boss, it makes you want to try and work just as hard as they do.
Jesus, has never and will never ask you to endure anything that He hasn’t already endured.
“If the world hates you, now that it hated me first.”
YOUR WORK SHOULDN’T BE DEPENDENT ON HOW YOU ARE TREATED.
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
There is a greater purpose to you work.
There is a greater purpose to you work.
9 Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,
10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.
1 All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.
If you boss is a Christian:
2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.
The paycheck is alright, but the retirement plan is amazing.
The paycheck is alright, but the retirement plan is amazing.
8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
In 1 Peter we saw that working hard, particularly for a bad boss, finds favor with God.
Favor - Charis- Charity - Gift - Grace.
Bosses should be like their Boss.
Bosses should be like their Boss.
9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.
Odd Verse for this context:
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
If you are a boss and are or act ungodly, your employees will either love you or hate you.
But if Christ flows in you and through you.....
5 “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’
6 then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
Paul, a bond-slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (Romans 1:1)
James, a bond-slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1)
Simon Peter, a bond-slave and apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1)
Jude, a bond-slave of Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-slaves, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-slave John (Revelation 1:1)
Discipline will never bring about love, but love always brings about discipline.
You are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.