Spiritual Capatlism

Foundational Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12 (ESV)

10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

Illustration: Famous Italian shoe Leonardo Ferragamo said the best present he ever received was when he was six years old. As a reward for good grades at school, his father taught him how to make shoes. Ferragamo's father taught him just as he had been taught by his father. Ferragamo called that experience "my best present." Leonardo was taught how to work

Revelation: The best present an older saint can give to younger saint is to teach them how to work for God! Working opens doors to all the blessings that God has to offer

A Minimum Wage Mentality

We are living in a generation that has not paid the price for the privileges and blessing we experience

The combination of Christian and American equals to the most privileged people in the world

An American-Christian get to be a citizen of the greatest nation in the world and adopted into the greatest kingdom in the world, the kingdom of God

But just because that is our identity it doesn’t mean that we can just claim all the blessing and the privileges without getting somethings right

Illustration: I remember hearing my son for the first time use his pastor’s son card. He used it to try to get out of doing something

Revelation: If not careful we can a mentality that we don’t have to do anything to earn the blessing and privileges in our lives

Disclaimer: you do not have to work for God’s love and salvation, that was paid for at the cross. But you do have to work to see all that God wants to do in our lives and in this world

Salvation is a gift, not a reward

Minimum wage is the starting point, not our portion

Minimum wage was never intended as a standard to raise a family. It was intended for people who are just entering the work force -Ruslan

You hear in politics all the time that the minimum wage is unfair. This is a socialist view, and it is immoral

We shouldn’t be fighting for a higher minimum wage; we should be engaged in the opportunities we have to get further away from where we started

It is not right in many levels to take away from those that work and give to those that don’t

It’s not even about helping because most people, especially Christians, are willing to help

But there is a line you can cross where taking from hard workers and giving to busy bodies is immoral

Consider the parable of the talents

Matthew 25:14–24 (ESV)

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’

Doesn’t the man with one talent sound familiar to the injustice and equality rhetoric we hear today?

This parable shows us an especially important truth:

(i) That it doesn’t matter where you start economically or socially. If you work hard for the master, you will get His approval and multiplication factor

(2) “Enter into the joy of your master”

(a) This is the blessing that every Christian is seeking to enter, but it is connected to our stewardship and work ethic

2 Spiritual Capitalism

a Capitalism is biblical

i) Because economics is an area where much of our everyday life takes place, we should evaluate it from a biblical perspective

(1) Capitalism- an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

(a) The two main things that make this biblical is correct ownership and correct profit

(i) The one who worked for it and took risks is majority owner

(ii) There is a proper ratio of profit that affects livelihood

(b) In other words, the man who works is the man who eats

ii) God is a rewarder!

(1) Isn’t it amazing that those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will not only go to heaven, but will be rewarded for things that they’ve done for Christ?

(a) This enables believers to not be lazy but work hard the master that rewards hard work

Philippians 3:12–14 (ESV)

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

iii) The truth that we shouldn’t ignore is that believers aren’t exempt from judgement

2 Corinthians 5:9–11 (NKJV)

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust is well known in your consciences.

(1) You will stand in front of God and be judged for your actions saved or not

b Throughout the bible we see the very principles of capitalism

i) Crowns in heaven (rewards)

(1) There are 5 crowns mentioned in the Bible. These 5 crowns will be presented as rewards to believers when they appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

ii) Laborers are few (perspective here is about working)

Luke 10:2–3 (ESV)

2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

(1) Evangelism has everything to do with hard and sacrificial work

iii) Investing (unequal starting points but same access to the God of opportunities)

(1) The parable of the talents

iv) Discipleship (whoever worked harder got to experience more)

Luke 9:23 (ESV)

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

(1) Discipleship has everything to do with submission, work, learning, positioning

v) Intimacy with God (The more you seek God, the more you receive from Him)

Deuteronomy 4:29 (ESV)

29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

(1) The level that you pursue God is the level you will know

c We should find joy in working/ serving for God

Illustration: Some grandchildren asked their grandmother what she planned to do when she got to heaven. She replied, “Well, I have worked hard all my life. So, when I get to heaven, I plan to sit in a rocking chair for ten thousand years. Then I’ll start rocking just a little bit.”

Revelation: Revelation indicates otherwise. John wrote, “His servants shall serve him” (Rev. 22:3). We will work in heaven, only we will not get tired. Otherwise heaven would soon become hell, for we were made to work!

i) It shouldn’t be a burden to work for God

3 Overcoming a Busybody Spirit

Illustration: God’s people are not to sit with folded hands waiting for their transfer to heaven. So long as they remain on earth there is work to do, battles to fight, and suffering to endure. Believers are not pictured in the New Testament as shrinking flowers, too good to work, waiting to be plucked and carried into heaven. They are slaves of Christ who must be busy at his work. They are soldiers of Christ who stand in the fray as He battles against the forces of evil.

a Defining a busybody

i) Apart from the obvious issue of laziness. Our scripture speaks about a person who is a busybody

(1) Busybody- a person who is too interested in things that do not involve them

(a) In our scripture a busybody is illustrated as someone who is working but not in the kingdom

(i) It can also mean a person who is working in the kingdom in a carnal way for carnal reason

ii) Are we jabbering busybodies, so taken up with Christian work that we have no time for the Christ whose work it is, no time for him in the morning, no time for him at night? - Draper, E.

b What is God’s work?

i) Evangelism!

(1) His church reaching the lost!

c We Must do God’s work God’s way

i) Consider what Paul has to say about building God’s way

1 Corinthians 3:11–15 (ESV)

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

(1) gold, silver, precious stones. Materials used in the construction of Solomon’s temple (1 Chron. 29:2), and here an image for what will survive the judgment, in contrast to wood, hay, and straw.

(a) The work that will survive is the work that is done God’s way

(i) Work that Christians do in Christlike faith and obedience will survive and be rewarded; work done in the power of the “flesh” or in disobedience to Scripture will not.

ii) Paul says we must do “good” to see God’s blessing

Galatians 6:9–10 (ESV)

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

(1) Good is defined by God, not by society

d Work Hard!

i) There's no such thing as Christians who do not work. It's a work of service. You can't build a home without work. You can't build a church without work. — Anthony Evans