Resolute II: Work

Word about this week:

I’m proud to not see our congregation act foolishly or scared.

Let not your hearts be troubled - Christ has overcome the world.

There has been no toppling or removal of God’s administration.

Isaiah 9:6–7 (KJV 1900) — 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

He is making the whole world his footstool

This is the year that the Lord has made; let us be glad and faithful and fruitful, and rejoice in it.

Resolute II: Work 

Why should they care? Why does God leave us here after our salvation? What are we supposed to be doing?

Last week we began the new year with a charge to rest in Christ’s work for the assurance of our pardon, to have an ambition for holiness and “clean hearts”, and to be obedient in the assignment of evangelism - ( David say, I will tell sinners about God’s mercy). 

I didn’t really draw any attention to the fact that I was starting a new series of messages about being resolute. The new year is of course the time when we hear a lot about being resolute and having resolutions, which could be defined as a firm decision and settled conviction to do or believe something.

And the sermon last week, and for the next few weeks, will be a bit of a charge to have right ambitions and right resolutions.

This Is The Series Theme: We are resolved (a firm decision and settled conviction), that above all things, and in all things, we want to be obedient to Christ with all of life.

Last week we looked at David’s desire that God would create in him a clean heart. When his sin is ever before his face he rests on the promises of God to assure him of his pardon. And we wanted to make this prayer and desire our prayer, too - to be resolute in the desire for clean hearts.

[Key Question] But what is a Christian to do now that they are saved? Does it seem a bit odd that God has redeemed our lives, cleansed us from our sin, adopted us into his family, made all things right, but it sometimes seems that we are just left here to work out our days slowly with minuscule tasks, just trying to make it through life comfortably. Do you ever feel that? Do you ever wander what the whole point is?

That’s what today’s sermon is about. Now that we are free in Christ, what do we do with our time and with our hands? What is the Christian position on work?

Here are two preliminary encouragements on the subject of work:

1)We were designed to work.

Ephesians 2 describes this well:

  “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:7–10, ESV)  

Our work doesn’t save us. We don’t work in anxiety. But our working is necessary and good.

We are saved and secured by Jesus’ work, not our own. And we are remade/ re-born - “created in Christ Jesus” for the purpose of good works and to walk in them.

A Christian’s life isn’t to be a boring time-killer until we are united with God, our lives are to be filled with deep gratitude and satisfaction and abundant contentment.

2) In Christ, our lives and how we spend our time should be fulfilling

The scriptures say that God came to give life (redemption) and abundant life (aspiration/motivation) (John 10:10).

So there is a plan and a purpose after your salvation. There is an intentional reason that you Christian exist each new morning. Let’s look at what it means to be resolute in being faithful in work.

1) work was the plan from the beginning and it teaches us about what the nature of our work should be.

Genesis 1:27–31 (ESV) — 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.  

We are meant to build. To take dominion. To produce.

We are made in God’s image - He is a Creator - we are sub-creators

We are to glorify God in our work - writing epic adventure stories, making notes into melodies, architecture, baking, raising children, the whole world would have become a garden.

Genesis 2:18 (ESV) — 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”  

Titus 2:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

“Feminism is mixed up with a muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Husbands are to love like Christ loved the Church — which means that they do their best work when they are self-sacrificially serving, protecting, providing, and taking responsibility for those in their house.

Wives are to love their husbands like the church loves God - They serve and build. Wives have their best impact when they are building up and helping their husbands. They are not to be independent and they are not neutral - Titus teaches that they are to focus on their husbands and kids.

2) After the fall, fruitful work must be done by the sweat of our brow - it is hard

After the fall you have to sweat to work and work is done with sweat

Genesis 3:17–24 (ESV) — 17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” 20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.  

It will be tough to be fruitful - work to provide

It will also be tough to be faithful - work to serve (family and others)

Romans 5:14–21 (ESV) — 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

In Christ, the serpent has been defeated, but the garden remain. We are restored and are still calls to work in this life and in the resurrection

[Note From J. Piper] But hasn't Christ come to lift the curse (Galatians 3:13)? Doesn't he restore us to our original pre-fallen condition with God? The answer is: Yes, but not all at once. Christ delivered a mortal blow to all evil when he died for sin and rose again. But not every enemy is yet put under his feet. For example, death is part of the curse under which we live. Has Christ's coming lifted the curse of death? Yes, but only partly now. We still die, but the "sting of death," the hopelessness of death, is removed because our sins are forgiven in Christ and he is risen! So it is with the necessity that we work to provide for our needs. Christ says, "Don't be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, or about your body, what you shall put on . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom" (Matthew 6:25, 32f.). [Piper]

Seeking the Kingdom - I’m going into full-time Christian ministry being an accountant

Possible 3rd point would be the encouragement and expectation of what work should look like from Jesus and the NT

1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV) — 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 (ESV) — 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Get off of social media and work. Stop being idle or lazy and loud and plow. Stop whining and being dependent on others - work and trust the Lord; we will provide for you.

Colossians 3:23–24 (ESV) — 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.  

Season your food well, cut your boards just right, write the best essay and thesis statement that you can. Work like you are serving Christ.

Matthew 5:16 (ESV) — 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

It takes a long time to remove and destroy things that are built with quality. I think great works of architecture or great cultural movements/revivals

Reformers not revolutionaries - The protestant work ethic

Closing/Application:

Get to know your tools

Glorify God with your work. Get flower on your apron and sawdust in your hair. Let’s make it our ambition to work unto the Lord this year, building the kingdom as the hands and feet and body of Christ, and trusting in the Lord of the harvest to turn it into a useful crop. Like the parable of the talents, he has given us lots and lots of grace, let’s use it to produce exponentially and refuse to bury it in the dirt - doing nothing with it and being unfaithful.

This is how Paul charges believers to use their time:

Titus 2:11–3:11 (ESV) — 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. 1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

The fields are white ford harvest - grab a plow and let’s get to work.

Communion Charge:

Jesus taught us what it looks like to work. He took the towel from around his waist and washed feet. He died to self so that others might live. He provides fro those he loves. We work from a place of rest. We work as a response to His work.

We work from a place of gospel rest.