Working for the Lord

The title to today's message — for those of you who have taken your bulletin and turned it over for the note-taking section on the back — is "Working for the Lord." Today's title is "Working for the Lord," out of Ephesians 6, verses 5 through 9. And I hope that today we can accomplish this: that we see that we truly are to be working for Christ from the depths of our heart, from the depths of our soul, with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This text will help us to see that inner joy — inner, inexpressible joy — is found in being free to be Christ's slave. And so if you have voluntarily signed up to be a slave of Jesus Christ, if you have been drafted into the Lord's army, then as you work, you're going to enjoy your work because it's as unto the Lord.

I want you to see this in Ephesians 6, verses 5 through 9 with me. Read with me. I'll be reading from the Legacy Standard Bible, which is very close to the New American Standard. In Ephesians 6, verse 5, the Bible says, "Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling." Now, as we work our way through this text, I'd like you to see, first of all, that in regards to the flesh, this is talking about the body — but the whole body, all of who you are — and you're to do this with fear and trembling. And that's just simply a reference to having respect, and yet even shuddering at the idea of being disrespectful, because you are working as unto the Lord.

And the Bible says here in verse 5 as well, you're to do this with integrity of your heart. And so this is sincerity of heart. Some of you may have an English Standard translation, and these words are synonymous as you see this in your text. And as you work with integrity of your heart, you're to do this as to Christ. This is the point of the text today, and it kind of unfolds a little bit farther. In verse 6, it says, "Not by way of eye service as man-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." And so this phrase "from the heart" means that you're to do your work heartily. And this phrase "heartily" is encompassing all of the mental and emotional and volitional force that you have. And so from the innermost parts of who you are in Christ, we are to utilize all of that to work heartily to accomplish the tasks that we are given.

This word "heartily" includes the soul, includes the mind, includes all of life. Park here with me for just a moment, because in the Greek, this renders that our work is to be coming from us like breath — coming out of us. This is part of what we do. This is an extension of who we are. It's a vital force that is connected to our life. And so we are giving of our lives to be able to accomplish work, to be of service. The very seat of our feelings, the very seat of our desires, resides in the depths of your heart. And you're not to be ones who are disheartened in your work. You're to heartily work and do all that you can to accomplish a product, to accomplish a service, to be of help. The essence of who we are is to be part of our outpouring into our job. Our laborious service is under Christ. And this is the reason why we can open up our hearts wide open and serve wholeheartedly — not as man-pleasers, but unto Christ. We're going to finish a product. We're going to do a job with excellence, because we are bought and paid for, slaves of Jesus Christ.

And so you may think to yourselves, "Wait a minute, preacher — this text is about slaves and masters." And as you read through the text, you see slaves and masters, slaves and masters, slaves and masters — which is the modern-day application of employees and bosses. Yes, I knew that. But if you dig just a little bit deeper and look into the context, you will see that this entire passage is undergirded and supported "as unto Christ, as unto Christ, as unto Christ, as unto the Lord, in Christ, as slaves to Christ." I'll prove it to you.

Back in chapter 5, verse 21, we're to be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Verse 21 — and so all Christians loving and supporting and being subordinate to one another. You didn't know you were being godly when you were saying to one another after Sunday, as you go to choose where you're going to go for lunch: "Where are you going to go?" "You choose." "No, wherever you want to go." "No, wherever you want — I'm serious. You choose." "No, no, no, no." Putting one another first is the idea of being subordinate to each other. You really, truly value their interests and their best interest more than yourself. So you will give of yourself subordinately. And this is an act of obedience unto Christ, in fear and reverence to Christ — a mutual submission.

Also, in verse 22 of chapter 5, wives are to be subject to their own husbands as to the Lord. This is how you are respectful and honoring as to the Lord. And then husbands, in verse 25: "Love your wives just as Christ loved the church." This is everything to do with Christ. And then also in chapter 6, verse 1: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord." So this entire passage — the context of it — whether you're a child, a wife, a husband, a Christian, he's kind of bringing us all in and seeing that what we are and what we are doing is unto the Lord. But it doesn't stop there. Fathers, in verse 4, are to discipline and instruct their children in the Lord. And then also, now, slaves and masters are as to Christ. This is incredible. In chapter 6, verse 10: "Finally, be strong in the Lord." Even our strength is in Christ. We're not strong in ourselves, but our might and our strength is in Christ.

And so slaves are to work heartily and to be on task, to be task-oriented without reluctance. And this is honestly — now you do this honestly — this is done cheerfully. We're having an optimistic approach to work in life. You know, the heathen slave back in Roman days would not work when the master wasn't watching. That's the reason why the Bible says "not as man-pleasers or eye service." They would take a nap when the boss was away, but Christians don't play when the boss is not looking. They're faithful. They stay on task. They get their work done, because they know that they're working for God. So this is important for us to be able to see.

In verse 7 it says, "Serving with good will as to the Lord and not to men." This phrase "as to the Lord" — the word "Lord" in the Greek simply means Lord. Got it. It means master. We have a master. He is ultimately our boss. We report to Him. He's the one who sustains our paycheck, believe it or not. He's the one who sustains the very essence of what we need — food, shelter, and clothing. He's the one who rewards or takes away. He is the giver of life. He is the Savior of life. He is the just Judge. Christ is everything.

So don't be short-sighted and shortchange yourself by being discouraged, perhaps, behind a worldly boss or someone who is acting worldly. You serve a higher King, a higher boss. In verse 8 it says, "Knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free."

In the Roman times, a third of the workforce were slaves — actual slaves. Of course, this Greek word for slave is doulos. Paul played off of this word to help portray that we are bought by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. He shed His blood. He's the one who was crucified for our sins. He died in our place, which purchased us. We've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. And so He's purchased us. He's bought us. We don't belong to ourselves. We have an owner. We belong to God. And as we work as unto our owner, earthly bosses get the benefit of our loyalty. We are truly dedicated. Christians should be the hardest-working people. Christians ought not to be lazy at all. Christians ought not to take shortcuts. Christians ought not to try and get a pay raise when they don't deserve it. They shouldn't be all about the money. Christians should set the tone, because they know, "I already have more than I deserve. Praise God for a job." And as we look around and have a better perspective on life, we think, "Boy, we sure do have it good. Praise God for that. I don't deserve what I have. Praise God for what He's given me." It's because of His love, in which He first loved us, that we have what we have.

And so have you resolved in your heart that God is good no matter what? And even if He tries you for a season and removes all the comforts of life — removes your job, removes all these things, and puts you through a season of testing — have you resolved in your heart that you will be optimistically and wholeheartedly a lover of Jesus Christ? You're not in this for what you can get. You've already gotten more. Salvation is more than any of us have ever deserved. We didn't work for it. We didn't earn it. He gave it to us. It's a gift. So praise God that now, after He has given us salvation, we respond and confess Him as Lord and Savior and follow Him in baptism. We follow Him in church membership. We follow Him in studying the Bible. We follow Him in making disciples. This logical growth in your own life happens as a result of what God has done in you, and now you zealously work for Him. Part of working for Him is providing for your family, obviously — getting the monetary needs met. God is totally in control. Believe it or not, nobody's job is insignificant, because that would mean that perhaps God is doing something insignificant.

I was on staff one time with a church where the maintenance man called himself "the minister of maintenance." It's important that those toilets are clean. They smell good, you know. I just love the perspective of how all things are important, and he surely was ministering to a lot of people. Have you ever been to a place that did not have a minister of maintenance? Then you know how important it is to take your job seriously.

I want to show you how God is in control. Turn to Psalm chapter 103. I want to develop within your heart and mind a theology of work. Psalm 103, verse 19. Psalm 103:19 says, "Yahweh has established His throne in the heavens." Okay, so He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is ruling and reigning on His throne. His throne is in the heavens. And this kingdom is no temporary kingdom. It didn't just come about. It didn't just take power. It has no expiration date. It's not going to go out of date. It's never going away. Psalm 103:19 says Yahweh has established it permanently — past, present, and future, eternal. His kingdom is eternal. It's there. It's in the heavens. And guess what it does? "His kingdom rules over all."

The Lord even rules over Satan. Even what Satan is allowed to do, God can make that work out for your good. You know Romans 8:28 — that God works all things for our good and His glory, right? For those who love Him. That's not a promise to non-believers — it's a promise to believers, for those who love Him. And so His sovereignty rules over all. The New American Standard says His royal power has dominion. Okay? The Roman Empire had a limited dominion. They couldn't go everywhere around the earth, and they had an expiration date — they didn't last forever. It's not so with Christ our King. And it's not so in any realm at all. He is Lord, Master of our — well, everything. You serve Christ, whose sovereign kingdom is over every not only nation, not only country and business and employer and employee, but down to the minute tasks that we are to accomplish. His sovereignty rules over all, and He is orchestrating and leading all things to glorify Him and to spread His glory, to spread His gospel. This is His realm. And so when someone tries to usurp the authority of Christ, you just know inside of your heart and mind, "I serve King Jesus. You can try and do whatever you want to do. God is in control. You can orchestrate circumstances. You can take things away from me. You can make life painful. You can make me suffer. Whatever the case might be, my God reigns."

Whatever the case might be, you have confidence in the fact that you have a King — a sovereign one who reigns. And He is very interested in the very, very small things of this world. Very interesting. So He's ruling, He's reigning, and He is causing all things to work for His glory. And praise God for this.

Now perhaps you have become an emotional roller coaster by submitting your heart to your boss. Perhaps you have, instead of keeping your heart guarded and focused on Christ and serving wholeheartedly as unto the Lord, submitted your emotions to the ups and downs of the erratic things that happen in this world — all the circumstances of life. Do the circumstances of life — whether or not your boss is in a good mood — take you up and take you down? That's what I'm saying. Have you made for yourself a terrible work life by not focusing upon Christ, seeing beyond the day, beyond the boss, and working for Jesus?

Well, I want you to know that there's a better way than to allow an earthly boss to have such sway upon your precious heart. Remember, your heart has been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ, and above all else, we're to guard our heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The spring of life that comes from you comes from your heart. Don't let the world pollute it, right? You've got to guard what's going into your mind, going in through your eyes. You've got to guard what you're saying, because if it goes in, it's going to come out. "From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" — Matthew 12:34. So we have to be very careful to manage ourselves well, because we have a King, we have a ruler, we have a Savior who wants us working for Him and being obedient to our earthly bosses.

Listen, the command in Ephesians chapter 6 is not to believe — it's to obey. It's not to believe — it's to obey. You don't have to fully believe in the philosophy of your boss. You don't have to fully buy into everything he says and does. You do have to be obedient. It's your job. God has given you this job, so you've got to do that — short of double-crossing God and His Word, right? And so we serve with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, up to the point to where we would violate Scripture. "I can't do this — sorry. I want to do everything I can, boss, to be obedient, and I will do everything he asks me to do, up to this point, because I serve a higher boss, a higher King, a sovereign one."

And this is your moment that's going to test you, to see whether or not you're ashamed of the gospel. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God and the salvation for those who will believe." And at this moment you've got your boss's full attention, because normally you have been completely compliant. You're the MVP. You're the best employee. And now he's asked you to shave some numbers — or whatnot, if you're an accountant — or he's asked you to charge the customer a little bit more, rack it up, round it up a few times or whatnot. And you say, "Hey, hold on a minute. I serve a God who is the way, the truth, and the life. And I want to share with you that I serve you wholeheartedly, because this is what I'm called to do as a Christian. But I have a higher power that I answer to, and He's going to reward me for what I do. And so there is a limit to which I can be your employee. And if you decide to let me go, I will consider that something I would print out and frame — if you fire me because I have stood unashamedly for Christ." This is your opportunity to tell them about Jesus — that He rules and reigns, and this is why I want to be obedient, and this is why you can be obedient. This is where it's at.

And so there's a better way to manage your heart and soul, if you have submitted it to a boss who is now taking you on this emotional roller coaster up and down. Pull back. Set your gaze on Christ. Serve Him and be obedient to the point to which you can.

And so there's a biblical precedent here for managing your relationship between you and your boss or bosses. It's very important. As we develop this theology of work, work started back in Genesis chapters 1, 2, and 3. Turn with me. I want you to see point number one, if you're taking notes: God works.

He does. He's a worker, and He is still working. Point number one is that God works. In Genesis chapter 1, verse 31, the Bible says, "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." And then on the same note, in chapter 2, verse 3: "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which He had created and made." Because God was the first one who developed the idea of work, and we are made in His image — Genesis 1:27 — we therefore are workers.

Some might come back and say, "Whatever — work is from the curse. We all have to work now because it's no longer perfect. God gave us all the fruit and the trees, and everything was perfect. We didn't even have to wear clothes, right?" Yeah. Well, I want you to be an apologist for the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen — work, point number two, is a gift. Work is a gift. It's not a curse. Because before the curse, work existed. How could work be a curse if work was blessed by God and given to human beings before the curse came into being? Chapter 2, verse 15. Genesis 2:15: "Then Yahweh God took the man and set him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it." Woo-hoo! First job is landscaping. Gardening. Keeping the garden. I love it. It's great to be outdoors, to be outside. But this is not a curse. The curse made work harder. And so now we are still workers, but because of the curse, work has been made harder.

Genesis chapter 3, verse 17. Genesis 3:17: "Then to Adam He said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, "You shall not eat from it," cursed is the ground because of you.'" Okay, this means that the ground is no longer going to produce fruit with ease. What's going to happen? "In pain you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you." Yikes. Has anybody here picked cotton before? Oh man. Yes, sir. The thorns involved in getting just one piece of cotton are terrible. But now you have thorns and thistles, and "by the sweat of your brow you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken — for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

And so point number one: God works — we see that in creation. Point number two: work is a gift. And so work being something that God gave, we then continue to work. In our Western culture we associate work with an occupation. "Got to go to work. Got to get to work on time. I owe, I owe, I've got to go and get to work on time." We associate work with nine-to-five, or whatever your shift is. Basically that is in the negative sense. But work, biblically, is not put in the negative. It's put in the positive. It's a gift. And so you actually get to go to work. If you didn't work, you would eat a whole lot less and probably live without shelter, right? "A man, if he does not work, he does not eat," the Bible says. And so it's a gift to be able to have this work. It's not a negative thing. It's actually very good. And when God looked back on His work, He pronounced it as something that was very good, and that included the ability to work. So work is not a result of the fall, but the fall made work harder. Embrace it.

You've got some time here on earth to work hard. Make it fun. Do everything you can to be productive. Rally people up. Give them a biblical worldview of work. You can make it fun. You can make anything something that is enjoyable. I won't go into details, but I've seen some men make some pretty nasty jobs fun. And I appreciate the biblical outlook on life, where they are able to work and get things done and make the best of what they have. It's really showing a high view of God, because in God's sovereignty He has provided for you what you have. And praise God for that.

Did you know that laziness is a sin? In Proverbs chapter 13, verse 4 — we see that also in chapter 21, verse 25 — laziness is a sin. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 makes it very clear that if a man will not work, let him not eat. Hey, quick parenting tip. Fathers, that is just perfect. That works.

Now, the first portion of our income — of our results, of what we produce — when we get that back from the Lord and from our bosses, this is to go to the church. That's been established even back in Leviticus chapter 27, verse 30. And so each family should decide to what extent they can appreciate and worship and show God honor and praise by giving back their first fruits unto the Lord. That's a truism all the way through the Bible. And so how the Lord has blessed you is how you should honor and love Him. And that should be at the top of your budget. It should be the first thing that you're able to worship the Lord with — to give back to Him and say, "Lord, thank you for Your provisions. Thank you for the ability to still work. Thank you for my paycheck. Thank you for everything that You're doing in my life."

And just by way of information, you can give online here at Beulah Baptist Church. It's been made easier these days. You can mail it in. You can come in person. We've got some wonderful people who are a part of Beulah Baptist Church who are not able to be in the worship center with us every Sunday, and they give. A lot of the benefit of what we are able to do — by way of loving and supporting missionaries and helping serve our community and do missions and ministry here — comes because of many people who are very connected to Beulah Baptist Church via mail, mailing checks in, and also worshipping the Lord through giving online. We have a lot of folks who receive the bulletin via mail. My mom comes into the office and she will take the extra bulletins and send them to shut-ins and those who are in nursing homes, those who are not able to travel anymore. And they still listen online and participate, and they are vital members of our local congregation. So there's a lot that is wonderful when it comes to a theology of work — receiving back from what you've been given and being a part of God's mission.

Not only is laziness a sin and we should give our first fruits back to the Lord, but we also should look at the fact that not providing for our own is a sin. At the very essence of who God is, He's a provider and a protector. And fathers share that title, that name, as ones who are providers and protectors. And in doing so, we should provide for our families, and so to not work is sin.

I do not like welfare. When you have an entire culture that gives themselves over to the idea that they can just sit at home and make more money by collecting a welfare check or whatnot, you're losing your dignity in working. You're dishonoring the Lord who has made you to work. You're not contributing to your community, and you're not setting a good example for your children. You're really just cutting your own feet out from underneath yourself. I do appreciate the fact that welfare can help a family in need get from one job to the next for a short period of time. But I hope that nobody here looks at welfare as a means to provide for the family. That's not what a biblical worldview of work consists of.

So a theology of work is one where you've got to get to work — and get there. There are many, many who have asked me for a job here in Central Florida. Guys, let me tell you, we are so blessed with subcontractors. They are everywhere. I have told many young men: all you have to do is go to a gas station at 5 a.m. and say, "I will work," and you'll get snatched up within an hour or two. And if you are worth your salt, if you will work, then they will keep you. So don't come and ask for a handout — go to work. Get a job, especially as opposed to panhandling. I say to them, "Man, that's hard work out there every single day in the sun, walking back and forth. You could actually do better working." Work — a theology of work, having a good relationship between the employee and the boss — is honoring to the Lord. So not working is a sin. 1 Timothy 5:8: if you're not providing for your family, you're worse than an unbeliever.

Turn to Psalm chapter 19. I want you to see this wonderful work of God, and how not only are we to be workers and have these things right in our minds, but also we should, as we are working and going through the days, be praising God for His work. Psalm 19.

As you go through your days and you look out and you see the wonderful sunsets, sunrises, even storms — everything that you see out in nature — it's declaring the work that God has done. Because God does everything. Nothing happens that God didn't ordain. God is orchestrating everything. So in Psalm 19:1 it says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." It's a wonderful thing to recognize that God did what you see, and you can bask in His glory. You can worship Him inwardly just by looking at creation. It's a wonderful thing to look at the work of God and be moved to worship. Look at the mountains. Look at nature. Look at all that God has created. It's just beautiful.

Now, if you're not convinced yet of a theology of work, need you go no farther than the life of Jesus Himself, because the first thirty years of His life He was a what? A carpenter. A worker. Mark chapter 6, verse 3 testifies to the fact that Jesus was a carpenter and He worked.

So I want to ask you: what kinds of worldly things disrupt God's will in your heart in regards to being a worker? God's will for you inwardly is to be zealous and happy about the work that you're able to do, to be aiming at God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength — not being stuck in the mud or in the circumstances. Seriously, what's disrupting you from having the right outlook? As we just looked, go back to Ephesians chapter 6, and you can look at this passage and how it is "from the heart" and "it's unto Christ" — from the heart and unto Christ, over and over again.

Well, I would say a few things could keep you from having this perspective. Number one, it could be your lazy human nature. We all have that. So fight that. Don't let laziness kick in. So children, if you're in here and you get the opportunity to play — play, play, a whole lot, enjoy it — because soon and very soon you will need to be able to transition from playtime to work time, and embrace it and work hard. Don't take on a lazy mentality and say things like, "It's too hard," or "I don't feel like it." Yeah, there are too many forty-year-old boys.

What else could keep you from having a heart of worship in regards to work? Well, perhaps it's the propaganda coming through the news feeds all the time — it's called a "socialistic agenda." "Hey, you should just make everyone who is wealthy spread around the wealth, so we ought to get to enjoy their benefits, right?" Socialism is on the rise in this country and it's evil. Jesus was a capitalist, by the way, and His parables certainly point to that. The propaganda going around today is thick. And so if you pull into neutral and do not work because of these politics and these things, you've got a worldly view of work and not a biblical worldview. And so don't think that you deserve more than you have.

What about disheartening information about your company or about your bosses? I honestly feel for those who have lost faith and trust in their employers or their bosses. That's tough — to work for someone who has lost credibility. And if you're disheartened in that way, I want you to know that we should wholeheartedly slave away as unto the Lord and not to men. And yes, God sees everything and is going to reward you accurately, as this passage says.

Perhaps you have a bit of pride — a high-minded attitude — and instead of having a humble attitude of gratitude, you have an entitled attitude. You're always thinking you deserve more. Hey, listen: when it comes to being an employee and the product that you produce, or the ability to get the job done, you've got to do the job for a long time before that company makes any profit off of you. Because perhaps as you are an inexperienced employee, they were forking it out anyway and you were not producing for the company, but yet they were paying you a paycheck. But as soon as someone gets a job, they think, "Oh, now I deserve to make twice as much because I'm capable, right?" Well, that company trained you and raised you up. And so now we should be humble and allow the Lord to reward us in due time. And if you're consistent in your work over time, it will pay off, because we serve a just God.

Your boss is not really truly your boss. Christ is your boss, and He's just, and He's going to reward you accordingly. I want to show you this in a text. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 8 says, "Knowing whatever good thing each one does." Okay. In Roman times, the slaves were to slave away picking grapes or olives or whatever. Today, by way of interpretation and application, whatever job you have — knowing that whatever good thing, whatever beneficial thing you're doing, whatever active service, whatever work you are doing in verse 8 — "whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord." Isn't that something? So your boss is going to pay you to do your work, but then you're going to get paid again because God is going to reward you. He's going to give back to you what He wants to give you.

Essentially, God is bestowing upon you what your character deserves. And so if you are faithful in the little, He is going to bless you with more. I saw it in Bible college — all these guys video gaming all night long and showing up to class dead tired, teeth not brushed, still in their pajamas. I couldn't stand it. Where are they now? Not in ministry. And half of them didn't make it through Bible college. It's the same everywhere you go. And so as you are faithful, God will reward you for your work. He's just. He sees everything.

Maybe you have the wrong perspective. Maybe you're hyper-focused upon the minute details in life and making insignificant things into a mountain. And you say, "I just can't do this anymore." And listen, my advice would be: if you just can't do it anymore, don't quit a job until you have a job. Keep working, be faithful to the very best of your ability.

Now, you see that in Ephesians chapters 1, 2, and 3, it's very doctrinal. And then as you get towards the end, it's very practical. And this is really speaking to the majority of your life. When you go to work, you work Monday through Friday, most of the day. And so the majority of your life is going to be working, and that's just fine. Don't become a workaholic and neglect your family or anything — like we talked about with fathers instructing their children a week or two ago. We have to dial back and make sure we have the priorities in place first: God, marriage, children, all those things. And then serve Christ with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

And again, when we work for our earthly bosses, we can't neglect the local church as well, because God has given you a gift and an ability. And unless you exercise that gift through the local church — because the gift actually is from God to others, just through you — if you neglect the gift that God has given you, then you will also find yourself a bit down and depressed. But when you exercise that gift, you are energized and excited about life. And those of you who are actively serving Christ, you know that you just love to serve the Lord. You get more out of serving than you could ever imagine. And so don't let worldly things disrupt what God wants you to be on the inside of your heart. Perhaps apprehensions of failure have kept you from truly engaging your heart with your work. Don't be afraid of failure. Step out in faith and work hard. Go after it.

And so let's just review real quick. In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 5: "Slaves." This word, doulos, in the Greek helps us to understand that we — not only as Christians who have been bought and paid for, but also — in Roman times, there were two-thirds of the workforce who were slaves. And it's not uncommon in the Bible. It occurs 126 times in the New Testament and 335 times in the Old Testament. And so the Roman Empire had a labor force of slavery. And the Bible doesn't condemn slavery — it condemns the harsh treatment of people. And so this employee-employer work relationship that we have today is very similar to the slave-and-master relationship back then.

Now, the Roman slaves were actually able to work their way up into noble positions, becoming doctors and government officials. They could even make their own money and buy their own freedom. It's amazing all that the slaves in the Roman Empire could do. And that wasn't the case with the slave trade between Africa and Britain and colonial America. That was awful. And William Wilberforce gave his life to abolishing that evil slave trade, because that was the terrible treatment of human beings. That slavery was terrible. Today's illegal underground slave trade is horrific. And yet at the same time, we have many who are working to abolish child trafficking and such — Russia, North India, Thailand, and even America are near the top of the list for this underground illegal slavery. And so this type of thing is all around us, and we need to have a biblical worldview when it comes to working.

I could not imagine, honestly, being one. I have a friend who works in rescuing children from around the world from the slave trade. And I just — my heart couldn't take it. It would kill me. But I really appreciate those who are able to do that. We have a man in our congregation, Ken, who has gone over to Mexico City and rescued a girl from that, and this is incredible. So when I say "slaves and masters" in the text here in Ephesians, I say all of that just to say: don't conflate the atrocities that human beings have done over history with this biblical idea of doulos — of slavery. It's a beautiful thing when you know that you have been bought by the Lord and now you are owned and operated by Him. He gives you what He desires to give you. He blesses you how He wants to bless you, and you are taken care of. It's a wonderful thing.

And so now, in regards to the relationship between the slave and the master, I want you to notice what the text does not say. It's very important that we see that we are of the Lord and of Christ. Back to Ephesians chapter 6. And in verse 5 it says "to Christ." And then in verse 6: "Not by way of eye service as man-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ." We are slaves of Christ. This word "of" means belonging. All right. We belong to Christ. We don't belong to our bosses. We haven't been bought by them. They don't own us. So therefore, manage your heart and soul well, and do not be owned — especially internally. Don't sell your soul to your company. Do not give your inner being away to an evil philosophy. It's very important to manage yourself well.

And so in regards to having your identity in Christ and not being lost in this world, it's very important to keep your identity in Christ and not have your identity in your job. There are many people who work their entire lives, and then they retire and they're completely lost, because they lost their identity to their company rather than doing what the text says — serving as to the Lord.

I remember when my son enlisted — the best advice I'd ever heard for a young man going into the military was from a chaplain, Chaplain Chipper, a worship leader's relative: "Remember, you're a Christian going through the military. Don't lose yourself. You're going to go, and you're going to be a Christian before, during, and after. Don't get lost. Don't lose yourself." And I thought that was really good advice, and I appreciated it. He's going through the military and doing a great job. He's able to guard his heart. Proverbs 4:23 — above all else — and keep himself guarded.

You know, in the 1900s, London had a huge initiative to try and overcome all of the slums and all of the filth and all the crime. The educated elites thought that education was the key to emancipation. And so if they could just educate the workforce and educate the lower classes, then the solutions to all the crime and all the slums would rise up from among themselves, and they would be able to solve their own problems and get out from underneath these types of things. Well, that was a good initiative, but it wasn't a biblical initiative.

If you placed yourself back in 1900s London and you worked for this Workers' Education Association, founded in 1903 — if you, being a Christian, were working for this association, you would have to use your brain for this association without being brainwashed. You see what I'm saying? It's important for us to be in this world but not of this world. We are of Jesus, of Christ. And so we have to manage ourselves well, lest we get lost. And if you get lost, you lose your identity in your occupation. It's a long time in and a long time out to recover. It takes some biblical mentorship, it takes Bible study, it takes regaining who you are in Christ.

And so this command is to be obedient. It's not commanded of us to believe everything that your company does. So if you were an employee at this education initiative, you would work as under Christ. And in the back of your mind, you would be thinking, "A better solution to poverty, a better solution to these sanitation issues, a better solution to all these types of things would be Christ. It's the gospel that changes lives from the inside out. And we're just trying to change their shirt. We're just trying to landscape the community. We're just trying to work outwardly here." But at the same time, you would have to work as unto the Lord and give it your all. This is a balance in this world.

And this is important not only for you as an employee, but also perhaps you are a master. Perhaps you're an owner. Look in verse 9: "And masters, do the same thing to them." Okay, so all the precedents that have been set forth here for employees to follow, the masters are to also act in like fashion. They are to "give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven." So they have a master as well. If you're an owner, then you have a master as well. And "there is no partiality with the Lord." And this is very important to get, because throughout this text you see — and I want you to notice — that Christianity increases the level of integrity. In verse 5, you're to be obedient and respectful and work with integrity. So this increases integrity and productivity. Christians add to things.

If you think of nations and whichever religion dominates those particular nations — okay, it has an effect on the people in a broad way. Christianity has been predominantly the main religion here in America, and look at the prosperity, and look at all the hospitals, look at all of the universities, look at all the seminaries, look at all the help that it's done for the world. And you'll see a difference when you go to other countries, especially those dominated by other religions. So we know that by doing what we do, it helps everything. God is in control.

And in verse 7, notice that hard work — we're to work hard not for men, but for the Lord. And so we serve with good intentions and are not slothful. And then in verse 8, God rewards our work accordingly. And then in verse 9, masters must see themselves as ones who are also underneath the Lord, and give up threatening and cruelty.

You know, there are really only two ways to lead: either by fear or by love. And if you are going to lead with love — if you're a person of integrity and you care about those who are underneath you — those who work under you will work because of who you are and based on how much they trust you. A leader's integrity, capacity, and capability truly determines a lot. The other way to enforce things is through fear, through laws, through policies — never-ending policies. Does that work? If we add more and more rules and laws, does that work? You can't legislate morality. You can't get to the heart with a law.

You need to really lead someone and show them that they have value because they've been made by God, and they have a job because God's given it to them. And we all work hard because it's unto the Lord. And if we all do our work, then everything will work better. And so a biblical worldview — another leadership tip would be this: leading with fear and policies and punishments, intimidation, consequences — it produces disgruntled employees. It doesn't produce wonderful, hardworking employees. Rules make things rigid. You have to have rules, you have to have barriers, but not too many rules. You can't lead with rules alone.

We talked about this with the fathers and their children — in that they cannot be always legalistically driving home the rules in a negative way. They need to lead with relationship and love and bring their children into Christ through this optimistic worldview of everything. And they want children to be able to see that it's going well with them, and then they will want to also be engaged in Christianity because it's working well. If you're always hateful, always negative, always fault-finding, then your children will see that this is not what they want and they will go in a different direction. By and large, that's not fully determinative — God is in control — but it plays a major part in their lives.

And so as I start to wrap up here, before I give you the take-home truths, I want to give you a couple of warnings about work.

Don't work for money. Okay, just a warning here. If your motivation is a paycheck, then I want you to reconsider and perhaps do some self-alignment internally with your heart, because if you work for money, then you're a slave to that. Ecclesiastes chapter 5, verse 10 says, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money." And so money is not what is going to bring you the joy and the satisfaction that God has designed your heart and soul to enjoy. It's temporary. It's fleeting. And you think, according to this worldly worldview, that more money is going to provide happiness: "If I just had more money, then I could do this. If I just had more money, then I'd be happy. If I just had a bigger house, a better car, a bigger savings." Let me tell you — if you had enough money to provide for yourself until you were 120 years old, like, "I've done the math and I've got enough money to live until I was 120, I don't have to worry about anything" — you know what you would worry about? "Oh, I need more money for my children to be able to live until they're older." And then for your children, you find something else to worry about. Money is never enough. Money is elusive. And "the love of money is the root of all evil" — not having money, but the love of it, the pursuit of it.

God blessed Abraham — he was wealthy. God may have blessed you. Maybe you're wealthy. To be honest with you, we're all wealthy. You go to a different country and see just how well off we truly are. Don't love money. Don't work for money. Work for Christ. Do what you do as unto the Lord. If it's all about the Benjamins, then you're hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Okay, another warning: making more money is not the answer. I already kind of alluded to that. In verse 11 of Ecclesiastes chapter 5 it says, "When good things increase, those who consume them increase." Isn't that funny? If you get a big raise and you buy a Jet Ski, all of a sudden you've got more friends. And they are going to consume what you just had added to your life. So "those who consume them increase" as you gain things. "When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?" — Ecclesiastes chapter 5, verse 11. The success is only truly for what the eyes can look on.

You guys know I just took a mission trip to India. The Taj Mahal is a world wonder, and it's beautiful, but it's a tomb. And what is all the wealth of that once-powerful ruler now? It's set there for people to look upon and gaze. And that is nothing in comparison to the riches that are in Christ. Ephesians is a book that has been dubbed as describing the riches that we have in Christ. And all of the wealth and all of the wonder that we have been bestowed upon in Christ makes the riches of this world look like a mud puddle. So you really should not set your gaze on the things of this world, because they're fleeting and are going to pass away — the wood, hay, and stubble. But if you can utilize what the Lord has blessed you with to further His kingdom purposes, God bless you in that. Do all that you can while you can.

Now, some take-home truths. How do you work for the Lord? If the main idea of this passage is to set the gaze of the slaves upon Christ and not their tyrants, then we know that we have to take from the text some take-home truths.

Number one is: work hard from the heart. Work hard from the heart. In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 6, it says "from the heart." And this phrase means that we are to energetically utilize the force from within us to produce. You're producing, you're working hard from the heart. This means all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. All that you can say, all that you can do, all that you can accomplish — you show up with your mind and your heart in it. And so work heartily. If you're a homeschool mom, get after it. Get your children educated in Christ, because the world is coming after them. If you're an accountant, if you're a house builder, whatever the case might be — show up ready to work.

Point number two is: serve seriously. Serve seriously. If you're going to be all in, then you're going to serve seriously unto the Lord, because He is a master. You have a master. And so when you show up — even if you are by yourself in a cubicle — you are under a master. Picture it as if you are working directly for Christ. Now you've showed up to work, and He's there. He's watching you. He's listening. And He is supporting you. He's going to help you through this. And so we are to be doing everything that we do for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 31 says, "Whether you eat or whether you drink, do it all for the glory of God." Children, it's the same thing. You may think to yourself, "I don't have a job." Uh-huh, yes you do. You are being trained up for your job. So your job is to obey your parents and get your schoolwork done. Your job is to clean your room when your parents tell you to. This is important. And so be serious in your serving. Point number two is serious service.

Point number three in your take-home truth for today is: be of high integrity. The military says it like this: "Make the hard right over the easy wrong." It's easy to make wrong choices, and it's hard to make right choices. And so embrace it. Make the right choice. Work hard. Be a man of integrity.

I've got a friend of mine — he's now in heaven. His name is Larry Odom, and he worked for the county. And he was so discontented with the fact that any time there was work to be done, there were like fifteen shovels standing upright and only one down in the hole, you know? And he would complain to his boss, "You've got to give us more work. I can't stand standing around all day." And one day he prayed and asked the Lord, "Lord, please let me start my own business or something." And he stepped out in faith and did that, and that was because he had a high view of God, and in his conscience he could not sit around and milk the clock. His boss actually told him over and over and over again, "Go park your truck in the shade and take a nap for a few hours." That drives a man crazy inside if he cannot work with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. So be of high integrity. I'm not telling you to quit your job if this is the case for you — a man has to have his own conscience. But I am saying that we should be of integrity and make good decisions. Our high level of integrity and our motivation is representative of our high view of God. We don't have low morals. We don't have low ethics. We have high ethics.

Point number four is: attitude determines your altitude. In verse 8 you see that God is going to give you back what you have earned. You're going to "receive back from the Lord." Ultimately, if you work heartily as unto the Lord, He will reward you accordingly. You don't have to worry about anything.

Last point — point number five: work hard through harsh work. You cannot get away from this text without observing the fact that the word "slave" was referring to actual slavery, and a lot of slavery was harsh — harsh treatment of people, harsh circumstances. The Israelites had to go through harsh treatment as they worked and made bricks. And so as slaves, their work was often incredibly hard, to the point oftentimes even unto death. And that's tough. But I want you to look around and look beyond these harsh circumstances. If perhaps you have a season of suffering, then you need to do all that you possibly can to look beyond the day.

In Psalm chapter 23, it says to "walk through the valley of the shadow of death." And this "shadow of death" is a phrase that helps you to understand that you should not always be looking down in the shadows and seeing the negative side of things. Okay, if you're going through a season of suffering, look beyond the valley, walk through the valley, and make sure that you are not giving yourself a self-diagnosis of continual hopelessness. If you have a case of "stinking thinking," or you're negative in these areas, you've got to look beyond the difficult days — whether it's your marriage, whether it's your parenting, whether it's your job, whether it's anything in life. You have to have some grit about yourself and work hard and see if you can just keep it in first gear, keep working, keep walking, and see if the Lord doesn't see you through and bless you for it.

My friend Larry Odom did it for years and years and years, and he was finally fed up and asked God for a way out. And I think that is very honorable — to look beyond the shadow and see the light of Christ. This expression helps us not to have hopeless negativism as a way of thinking.

So today, if you would be encouraged by this text to work as unto the Lord, I think that we would all have happy days as unto the Lord. We could sing. And I'm just saying that this is still part as well of the greater context of being filled with the Holy Spirit. In chapter 5, verse 18, the commandment to be filled flows through wives submitting, husbands loving, children honoring, and now for slaves to be working diligently as unto the Lord. You can't do this unless you are truly filled up with the Holy Spirit. He enables you to have a perspective beyond the circumstances, beyond the tyrant, beyond the slave driver, beyond the cruel master. And you are actually working for Christ, and you are actually having a melody in your heart as you're working, and you're working hard from a joy perspective, because of "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

I hope today's text has helped you with your work life — if you're still working, or if you're going to be working soon — because we spend a lot of hours working, and that's part of it. I hope that you're not a workaholic and have sacrificed some of the crucial things in life for a paycheck. I hope that you're able to manage your heart and your time well, so that you have a healthy marriage, a healthy home life, a healthy relationship with the Lord, and are able to parent in a healthy way as well.

Let's pray together. Father, we do love You, and we thank You for this theology of work today. And I pray that You have helped us to set our gaze upon You and not be depressed by a negative atmosphere, perhaps if someone is in one. And perhaps they could also see that these things are temporal, and that maybe You could brighten up a situation, or change a heart, or see us through to better days. As well, dear Jesus, we have also learned that we really do not deserve even what we do have, and so perhaps a better perspective on life would be helpful too. Thank You, Father, for all of the hearts here who are moldable unto Your Word and who are diligently aligning their thoughts and their ambitions and their desires in a way that is honoring unto You, as we all are learning and growing together.

And I pray as well, dear Jesus, if anyone here has not been saved by Your glorious grace, that even now Your Holy Spirit would pull their heart in a direction that helps them to see that their sin — for all have sinned — has ultimately been against You and You alone, and that deserves the wages of death. And so You provided Yourself as a substitutionary death. You died on our behalf, in our place, a substitution. And I thank You for that, dear Jesus. I pray if someone here is comprehending that for the first time, that they would truly repent and say, "I know I've sinned, and I can't believe that You would pay the price that I deserve — that You paid for my sin. The wages of my sin is death, and You died for me." I pray, Lord, that You would illuminate that truth to hearts and minds. I pray, Father, that they would come to You as You invited them: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden." If their hearts are heavy, may they come to You, dear Jesus, and be saved — gloriously saved. May they confess You as Lord and Savior. May they believe that You died and were resurrected on their behalf, so that they would not have to spend eternity separate from You.

It's amazing how fast the years go by and how short this life is, and yet how long eternity is. Lord, I pray that You would give us a sober mindset in regards to the things of eternity. And as we get older and our eyesight declines and our bodies ache, and we see the day of death coming, I pray, Lord, that that is a clear indication that we will be in eternity soon, and that if anybody here is not saved, they would know for sure that You have appointed a day for us all to die, and then the judgment — according to Hebrews 9:27 — and that that sober reality would cause them to run to You and cling to Your glorious gospel. We love You. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.