Let's get into the Bible and as Neil mentioned, let's look at 1 Peter chapter 2.
That clock is at three minutes past four, which is going to be really confusing.
So I'm going to look at that one at seven o'clock and not speak for the next three and a half hours.
And I promise you we'll just be half an hour and we'll be finished at half past seven.
So 1 Peter chapter 2, I'm going to read from verse 9 down to verse 25.
Let's look at that together if you have a Bible or you can have it on your phone or whatever.
1 Peter 2, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession.
That you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.
Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong,
they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority,
whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil.
Live as God's slaves.
Show proper respect to everyone.
Love the family of believers.
Fear God.
Honor the emperor.
Slaves in reverent fear of God, submit yourselves to your masters,
not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it?
But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.
He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth.
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate.
When he suffered, he made no threats.
Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
It's a wonderful passage and I want to make clear at the outset I'm not going to try and speak right through all of it.
It's a passage I'd invite you to reflect on in your own readings.
So I'm looking at this passage and thinking about the subject tonight, how should we work?
And I want to bring to you two negatives and two positives from this passage.
But before doing so, as I have looked at this, there's one little word that appears in verse 11 and also in verse 25 that's repeated that I think is quite relevant.
And I need to credit my home group for spotting this on Monday because they were very generous and we spoke about this passage there.
And verse 11 says this,
Abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul.
And verse 25 says this,
Two references to the soul.
Firstly, a reference to
the things
that wage war
against our soul.
And then at the very end, this beautiful reference to Jesus as the shepherd and overseer or in some other verses, the shepherd and guardian of our souls.
And I suppose I just want to make the point, I've been challenged about the point about as we work, we need to watch our souls.
I wonder if we maybe don't hear as much as we might about the soul nowadays or necessarily think as much about it.
But even those two verses convey a sense of the things that would seek to destroy our souls.
Maybe things that might be described as soulless or things that are trying to kill our souls.
And I suppose I look around at work and I see whether it's greed,
whether it's pride,
whether it's unhelpful
ambition and competition,
whether it's the relentless pressure of work at times.
And I wonder if these are the things that can wage war against our souls,
our inmost beings,
our being the people that God really created us to be.
And I look at that and I then come to this great encouragement
as we look at those final verses about who Jesus is and what he's done for us,
about how we were going astray.
But I just trust this will define us all as Christians,
people who have returned to the shepherd and guardian of our souls,
people whom we need to constantly turn to for help,
people whom we need to absolutely rely on as the shepherd and guardian of our souls.
So whatever you're going to do with what I have to say and my thoughts on work,
can I encourage us all to be people who run to Jesus,
people who run to him,
where if we wander,
we are people who return to him as the one who is our healer,
our shepherd,
our protector,
our guardian.
Let me then take us to the first negative.
I want to suggest,
first of all,
that whatever work might be for us,
whatever area of work you might be in,
whether that's in business,
whether it's in the home,
whether you have now retired,
whether you're a student at school or college,
or whatever,
or university and looking to a life of work,
whether you're out of work and seeking to find employment.
The first negative that I think comes over really clearly and importantly from this passage about work is,
we must not be defined by our work.
Dare I say that might even include those who are the pastors and the teachers.
They should not be defined by what they do.
Because I look at verses,
I look at verse nine,
and I see there the definition of who we are.
A chosen people,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
God's special possession.
Verse 10,
once not a people,
but now the people of God.
Once not having received mercy,
but now having received mercy.
And the challenge to me from that
is that my identity
must not be in the job that I do.
My identity must not be
as primarily
a civil servant in
the Scottish government.
But my identity is primarily in
who I am in Jesus Christ.
God's special possession.
It was my mother's comment to me
that has stuck in my head
as she at times
perhaps worried about some of the choices
that we might be making,
that her children might be making.
And her little phrase was this,
always remember
whose you are
and whom you serve.
Have some of you used that as well?
Always remember
whose you are
and whom you serve.
Incredibly simple,
but incredibly powerful and true
as we look at this.
I wonder if, like me,
you've been asked
hundreds of times
as one of those early questions
when somebody's trying to get to know you.
And what do you do?
Such an easy question to ask, isn't it?
The risk is that we start to
box one other in
in terms of the answer to that question,
what do you do?
And it's an interesting question
and it's natural
that we want to find out more
about the things that we all do
and we're all involved
in so many different,
interesting aspects of work.
But let's not be defined
by what we do,
but defined by who we are,
who we are in Jesus Christ,
God's special possession.
See, the trouble is,
if we're defined by what we do,
it's so temporary,
it's so fleeting.
For me, the answer has changed
many times,
despite my thinking
that I'm still relatively young.
student,
trainee,
qualified lawyer,
civil servant,
working for one government,
now working for another government.
And if I define myself
by any of these things,
what happens if they're taken away?
What happens when they vanish?
I love my job.
I've been blessed
with interesting work
and I encourage all of you
to use all of your gifts
and talents
for the glory of God
in whatever area of work
he might take you to
and not in any way
to be indifferent
about the work
to which he has called you to
and we'll come on
to look at what good work
is really like.
But don't allow work
to possess you.
I have worked with
quite a number of people
who one day
have great power
and seemingly
incredible amounts
of authority.
and for whatever reason
that vanishes.
A term of office ends.
Controversy strikes.
And the work and the title
is no more.
And what is left?
I've observed some
dealing magnificently with that
and moving on
and finding other things
because I think their job,
their role
didn't define them.
Who they are,
who they were
was much, much more
than that.
I was reading
The Times yesterday
and reading a bit
of an interview
with the actor
Matthew Good
who is appearing
in the next series
of The Crown.
I fear that some of you
might only take the fact
that The Crown
is streaming on Netflix
season two
from the 8th of December.
It's worth renewing
your Netflix subscription
or getting it
for the first time.
Brilliant programme
there in the run-up
to Christmas.
But he,
as a successful actor,
now appearing
in this very,
famous
and, as I say,
excellent drama
said this,
if you tie
all of your hopes
to the net production
of your work
then you're going
to get depressed
because sometimes
you feel like
you're working
really well
and then you watch it
and you go,
I am terrible.
I assure him,
said the interview,
he is excellent
in The Crown.
But it was a
one-off gig.
Series three
will be recast
with older actors.
Just another
little illustration
of, for that guy
as an actor,
if he put all
of his hopes
in that,
then he may well
find,
as he said,
that sometimes
you just watch
it all go.
So,
what does it mean?
I ask,
I ask myself
to both
pursue the things
that we believe
God has given us
to do
but to hold
lightly
to them
at the same time
and to refuse
to allow
ourselves
to be defined
by
those
things.
And I don't
pretend
for a minute
to have all
of that sussed.
Those of you
who know me
will know
that sometimes
the challenges
of work
get in the way
of the other
things that I
would like to be
and should be
doing.
And my fellow
elders were
incredibly gracious
but I will
out myself
for having not
managed to
our elders meeting
this Tuesday
because of
the work
that I was doing.
And that for me
is just
an example
of the sort
of thing
that I have
to grapple
with.
And I know
many of you
will be grappling
with as you
think through
the call
that work
has on your
life and the
demands of
work and the
need at times
to be devoting
lots of time
and energy
to it.
But let's not
allow ourselves
ever to be
defined by it
and rather
to be defined
by who we are
in Christ.
Let's crack on
because as well
as not being
defined by our
work,
my second
negative is
that we should
not be deterred
by challenges
at work.
If you want a
heading to put
over this bit
it would be the
words,
no one said
it would be
easy.
Are some of you
finding work
tough?
Are some of you
already dreading
some of the
challenges that
face you at
work this
week?
Well, I suspect
our lot maybe
wasn't as bad
as the people
who Peter was
writing to
in 1 Peter 2.
Have a look
at verses
18 to 21
where he
writes to
slaves.
And I don't
think for a
minute that
this is a
defence of
slavery,
rather I think
this is him
speaking to
people about
the situation
that they
found themselves
in in this
day and age.
But he was
speaking to
them and he
could have
said to them,
slaves,
nobody said
it would be
easy.
I realise
some of
you have
got incredibly
tough masters.
Some of you
might be
fortunate enough
to have
reasonable and
sympathetic bosses.
But others
of you have
bosses who
are not good
and considerate
but are
harsh.
And indeed
some of you
are being
beaten in
your work.
I sincerely
hope that
isn't applying
to anyone
here today.
but he
urges them
to carry
on,
to persevere
in their
work despite
the suffering
that they
might be
experiencing.
And in
their suffering,
in the
challenges
of work,
to see
beyond the
immediate
challenges
and to
see to
the bigger
picture in
terms of
the work
that God
is doing
in our
lives and
through
our lives.
I love
verse 12
where he
encourages
those slaves
and others
to live
such good
lives among
the pagans
that though
they be
accused of
doing wrong,
so though
they may
face accusation
and hardship
in what
they do,
others will
see their
good deeds
and become
Christians?
No.
Not
necessarily.
Others will
see their
good deeds
and glorify
God on
the day
he visits
us.
It seems
that the
suffering
and perseverance
and faithfulness
of these
individuals to
whom Peter
is writing
here will
be of
huge
lasting
significance
to those
around,
perhaps even
if that
isn't
reaping
any
immediate
consequences
or doesn't
have any
obvious
impact
on those
around
in the
present
day.
I take
that from
verse 12,
they may
see your
good deeds
and glorify
God on
the day
he visits
us.
So they
have to be
encouraged
even when
work is
tough,
even when
the conditions
seem to be
unreasonable,
even when
the whole
thing seems
to be one
massive
struggle.
Not just
because God
is at work
and because
of the
impact that
it may
have around
but because
they have
the most
incredible
example.
And that's
what Peter
goes on
to encourage
them to do.
He said
if you're
suffering,
if your
work is
incredibly
tough,
then look
at the
example of
Jesus Christ
who when
faced with
insults
did not
retaliate,
who when
suffered
made no
threat and
instead
entrusted
himself to
him who
judges
justly.
And we're
back to
the incredible
example that
our Lord
Jesus sets
for us.
and the
person to
whom we
should look
in every
situation.
Let's not
be deterred
by challenges
at work.
Perhaps
sometimes it's
in working
through those
challenges that
we're most
able to
fulfil the
work that
God has
called us
to do.
I've certainly
been thinking
that while I've
been reading
this brilliant
book over
recent weeks.
If you're
still looking
for a
Christmas
present to
buy,
anybody,
then I
highly recommend
this book
called Just
Mercy by
a fairly
young American
guy called
Brian Stevenson.
I heard him
speak on
live stream at
the Global
Leadership Summit
which was
streamed just
down the
road from
Willow Creek
or started
off from
Willow Creek
Church in
America.
Brian Stevenson
is a human
rights lawyer.
He is black
and he has
particularly fought
for some of
the rights of
black people
who have been
incarcerated in
death row in
the States.
Some of the
young people
aged as
young as
11 who
have been
given life
without parole
at times for
offences that
have not led
to anybody
being hurt.
For some of
those with
disabilities who
are in prison
without any
recollection of
their crime.
He writes at
times from a
perspective of
certainly being
rooted in a
Christian faith but
he writes of the
enormous challenges
that he faced
at work.
Facing at times
his own death
threats, bomb
threats, working
right through the
night on case
after case after
case, facing
setback and
defeat time and
again, losing
cases despite the
obvious injustice
that some of his
clients were
experiencing but
keeping going
because he was
convinced that he
was doing the
work that he was
meant to do in
this life,
therefore not
deterred by the
challenges of
work.
And I won't
give too much
away but it's a
brilliant read and
has lots to
encourage us both
about his life and
about what it means
to really be
passionate about the
work that we do
despite the
challenges that it
might bring.
So those are two
negatives.
We shouldn't be
defined by our
work and we
shouldn't be
deterred by the
challenges at work
but two positives
and they are
simply, we'll look
at them together
because I think the
two need to go
together.
How should we
work?
Well the two
positives that are
woven through this
passage is we
should be marked
in our work by
good lives and we
should seek to be
marked in our work
by good works or
good deeds.
So our lives must
be really exemplary to
those round about
us and we should be
recognized for
excellent work.
Is this fair from
the passage?
Run through it with
me and let's just
track this together.
Verse 12, live such
good lives among the
pagans that though
they accuse you of
doing wrong they may
see your good deeds
and glorify God in
the day he visits us.
Verse 13 and 14,
really interesting
couple of verses
about the role of
government and those
in authority and
right at the end we
see that the role of
those in authority are
there to punish those
who do wrong and to
commend those who do
right.
And then verse 15
running right on from
that it is God's will
that by doing good you
should silence the
ignorant talk of
foolish people.
Verse 17, showing
proper respect to
everyone, loving the
family of believers,
fearing God, honoring
the emperor.
And then in verse 20
we read about suffering
for doing good.
If you suffer for doing
good and you endure it,
this is commendable
before God.
So I want us just to
reflect for a few
minutes on what it
looks like to be marked
by good lives and by
good deeds.
and by the difficult
challenge that I think
Jesus and God's word
calls all of us to,
to actually be marked
by both.
And I'd like us to
reflect on perhaps the
challenge of just being
marked by one or
other.
We've all been
surrounded by so many
stories, haven't we,
in recent weeks of
those who have come
to ruin because what
has come out is that
their lives have not
met the standard that
was expected of them.
Whether from the world
of show business or
Hollywood, whether from
politics at Westminster
or closer to home in
Edinburgh.
So many people have been
filling our screens and
newspapers and they've
come a cropper because
of aspects of their
personal lives that
have not been marked by
respect for others.
That have not been
marked by kindness and
graciousness or by the
things that we would
identify as the fruit of
the Spirit.
And in particular as we've
seen this spotlight on
men and on allegations or
indeed many cases of
sexual harassment towards
women and it's something
that I've been very
conscious of in my work
environment as we've been
thinking through these
issues.
It's been wonderful to
reflect and I've been
grateful for one or two
friends who have helped me
in this to reflect on once
again the example of
Jesus in terms of the
life that he lived and the
example that he set in
terms of how he treated
others.
Reflect for just a moment or
two in terms of how our
Lord Jesus treated women.
reflect on him treating and
how he treated the woman
caught in adultery while
others were ready to stone
her as he looked to the
ground and made those words
in the dust and then allowed
her to go as he said where
are your accusers?
I don't condemn you go and
sin no more.
As we reflect on how Jesus
treated the woman at the
well in John 4.
As we reflect on the way in
which Jesus allowed that
group of women to show love
and support to him throughout
his ministry on earth.
As we reflect on the fact
that as far as I can see he
never really had a harsh or
critical word to say to a
woman in the entirety of his
ministry.
Plenty of harsh and critical
words to say to the male
religious leaders of the
day.
But look at how he treated
women and for me what a
challenge.
What a wonderful example as
I think about the workplace
and how our lives should be
exemplary in terms of how we
treat others.
And this of course applies to
all of us here whether male or
female.
And we see it in the passage
where we are encouraged in
verse 17 to show proper
respect to everyone.
And to love the family of
believers and to fear God
and to honour the emperor.
Good lives.
And for those of you setting
out on the path of work I
have to say to you it doesn't
matter how brilliant you are
at the job you do.
It doesn't matter whether you
become the greatest expert
whether in law or engineering
or medicine.
If you treat others badly.
Well first and foremost it's not
honouring God.
It's not following the example of
Jesus Christ.
And it may well be that it also
leads to a situation where
others are not going to want to
work with you or where your
career, your hopes, your dreams
come to a juddering halt.
But we as Christians have such an
example that we can look to as we
seek to work through in every
situation what does it mean for
our lives to be exemplary in this
situation.
So good work without good life
is not satisfactory.
But equally good lives without
being marked by good work is also
unsatisfactory.
Because God has not called us
simply to seek to live in a bit of a
kind of holy huddle and close
ourselves off from the world around
and just ensure that we remain
pure and undefiled by those
round about.
The two have to go absolutely
hand in hand.
And so what does it look like to be
marked by really good work?
And I suppose here the answer is
going to be different for all of us
in different situations.
And in whatever sphere of work we're in
I encourage you to really think
through what does it look like to do
this to the very best of my abilities
relying on the strength that God
gives me and to seek to do it well
in a God glorifying way.
In this I have been tremendously
helped by this book.
I've mentioned it here before.
I will unashamedly mention it again.
It is the best book I have ever read
about work from a Christian
perspective.
It was recommended a number of years
ago by John Gemmel.
It's called What's Best Next?
How the Gospel Transforms the Way You
Get Things Done written by Matt
Perman.
And he speaks a lot about good work.
And I want to just give you one or two
snippets from this book which I have
found incredibly helpful.
There's a little section entitled
Encouragement for You Right Where You Are.
And he says this.
The things we're doing every day
when we're being productive
answering emails, going to meetings,
making supper for the family,
dare I say going to school,
working hard,
are not just things that we're doing.
They are good works.
When you're answering emails,
you aren't just answering emails.
You are doing good works.
When you attend meetings,
you aren't just attending meetings.
You're doing good works.
When you make supper for your family,
you aren't just making supper for your
family.
You're doing good works.
When you put the kids to bed,
you aren't just putting the kids to bed.
You are doing a good work.
The activities of our everyday lives
are not separate from the good works
that God has called us to do.
They are themselves part of
the good works that God created for us
in Christ.
And therefore,
they have great meaning.
I want you to see everything you do,
he says,
in a new light
so that you can become an agent for good
right where you are
to the glory of God.
Don't just try to get things done.
Seek to serve others
to the glory of God
in everything you do.
More than that,
be proactive and enthusiastic
in doing good for others.
Make plans
for the welfare of others
and use all the things you learn
from this book
to make yourself more effective
in carrying out the plans.
There's a lot there.
But fundamentally,
he is saying
that in every situation,
God has given us
countless opportunities
to do good works.
And maybe sometimes
we see that phrase,
good works,
and we're a bit nervous about it.
We're nervous about it
because we're always ready,
rightly,
to be clear
that we cannot become
Christians through good works.
But as this passage
is made clear
solely through what Jesus
has done for us,
but do we then miss out
on the multitude of teaching
that Scripture has for us
about what good work actually,
good work and good works
actually entails
and how important it is
that we who are followers
of Jesus
are people who are marked
day and daily
by good lives
and by good work.
And so in the workplace,
we seek to do what we're doing
with enthusiasm
in a way that helps
and supports
and loves and serves
others,
whether our colleagues
or others whom we are,
whom we have opportunities
to serve and support
in the work we do
or whether it's in the home,
whether it's in our training,
the way in which we go about it.
I find it tremendously encouraging
that that provides us
countless opportunities
to do good works.
I think it's great
that being a Christian
is not marked primarily,
and Matt Perman in this book
talks a lot about this,
it's not marked primarily
by trying to avoid stuff.
We can sometimes be
a little bit like that,
can't we?
Being a Christian is largely
about, you know,
this kind of keeping ourselves
pure and avoiding
all that might defile.
He says,
a life of serving
is a life of joy
and adventure
and excitement,
far more exciting,
in fact,
than a life lived
for yourself,
no matter how many times
you get to travel
all around the world.
So let me finish
by talking about
our downstairs toilet,
thinking about good work.
You see,
our downstairs toilet,
we discovered last year
we had a problem
because it seemed as though,
first of all,
ever so slowly,
slowly, slowly,
there were little drips
of water
coming from the cistern.
But drips of water
have a habit,
first of all,
being ignored
and just giving them
a little wipe
to becoming much more
of a steady stream of water
and then you go away
one day and you come back
and there's water
all over the floor.
Why did that happen
to our downstairs toilet?
Well,
we got the emergency plumber out
and he opened up
the cistern
and within five minutes
was saying,
dear,
oh dear,
oh dear.
and was able to show us
this cheap little fitting
that appeared to have been
put onto one of the pipes
in the toilet.
He said,
that should never have been used
in your toilet.
That cheap little plastic thing
was never going to last.
Here's what should have been used
as he showed us
the metal equivalent,
some sort of metal,
I don't know what it was,
and as he said,
you do know,
the builders realised
that those cheap plastic things
shouldn't have been used.
Yours was one of the first houses
and after 10 or 15
they stopped using them
and they put on
the quality metal things
and all the other houses
that have got the cheap plastic things
have exactly the same problems
whereby basically
their bathrooms start to leak.
Now can I suggest
very practically
that those who decided
to put on the cheap plastic fittings
were not doing good work.
And actually there's something
about good work
which will bless
and help others
which will be to their
long-term benefit
and advantage.
And so I want to encourage you
whether you are a bathroom fitter,
any of you bathroom fitters
here today,
please don't put on
cheap plastic fittings
because they're not going to bless
others in years to come.
It's just going to cause them
countless expense
and difficulty
even if it saves you
a couple of quid
in the process.
Good work is not slack.
It's not shoddy.
It's not like those
plastic fittings
in the bathroom.
With one final quote
from Matt Perman,
he says,
we are to do work
that will truly benefit people
by going the extra mile
rather than just doing
the minimum necessary.
Excellence in our work
is a form of generosity
and love.
while poor quality
is a form of stinginess
and selfishness.
Shoddy work
is not just shoddy work.
It is a failure of love.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
we thank you
that you have
so much to teach us
about every single aspect
of our life.
and we want to just
lay our lives
before you
tonight.
We ask that we
would never be defined
by our work
or what we do,
but that we
all here
would be
knowing what it is
to be your
precious
possession.
and that all
that we do
would simply
be an outpouring
of thankfulness
to you
for who you are
and for all
that you have done.
So help us,
God,
in all that lies
ahead of us
this week.
May we work
well
and work
for your glory.
Amen.