Many moons ago when I worked in an engineering office,
very unusually there were three of us side by side,
three offices side by side, three of us engineers,
and one of those engineers on one side of me was a great comfort to me.
He was pretty sensible and level-headed from my point of view.
The other one drove me bananas.
And because he saw that his Christian witness
was working harder and longer than anybody else.
And I remember sitting there absolutely resentful one birthday for me.
My birthday is 24th of April, always on a public holiday next door to Anzac Day.
So he had me in there on the Anzac Day public holiday
working because he didn't have confidence I'd get my work done.
So I sat there, not a very happy little camper at all,
throwing off vibes all day and absolutely resentful of where I found myself.
But my friend wasn't married.
He would work until 1 or 2 a.m.
trying to get the absolutely perfect solution to an engineering dilemma,
which is not necessarily possible.
It's sometimes an art, not just a science.
And unbelieving colleagues would laugh behind his back
at his ridiculous work ethic.
And then he would view that as working hard and suffering for the gospel.
My friend in retail was another person
who would work in the back office of a major department store
until 1 a.m., keeping the firm going.
Never home for dinner with his family.
Never managing to fall into bed at the same time as his wife.
The firm asks for more and more.
He's not after the money, though.
He doesn't know anything different.
He doesn't think that anyone will want to employ him.
Any other employer would want to take him on.
And so he burns out with serious mental illness
and work takes no responsibility for him.
Someone else.
The financial high flyer.
Small children.
Leaves home 4 a.m.
gets his work done before anybody else is in the office,
putting their requests in front of him.
And he might get home for a bedside story at 7 p.m.
He's esteemed.
He's getting rich.
He will make such a lot of money one year
that his home will be paid off many, many years
before the loan requires.
And he and his lonely wife
will then begin to renovate their palace
and be debt-free.
His wife does a magnificent job
in her very skilled vocation in the health industry.
She receives a huge amount of kudos
and esteem in her paid work.
She holds the fort together
in the nurture of the children.
They don't need the money.
But they plough on with no adjustment
to how they live
and their family life...
No adjustment to how they live
and how their family life is impacted.
Another woman chooses unemployment
in preference to taking work
below her pay grade.
The hard-working farmer
who's proud of what he has.
He works hard.
He never uses credit.
When you see his wealth,
everybody knows it's his.
And the bank owns none of him.
And then there's all the ways
we go about volunteer work
with sports teams
or community service
or even ministries at church.
I have my place.
I have my identity.
Don't you know who I am?
I fight and I work for acknowledgement
and I don't give way easily
to new people and new ideas.
There are many distortions to work.
Using God as an excuse
for a ridiculous take on work.
Working for a loveless master
and getting consumed.
Pursuing massive material gain
while choosing to put
significant relationships
on the back burner.
Trying to balance
a husband's work
and life against a wife's.
Pride of place and position.
People need to know
how important you are.
Your identity is defined
by what you've done
or what you own.
Laziness.
They're all distortions of work.
So today what I really want to do
is speak about
how when work becomes distorted
and again
we're following
the book
Timothy Keller's book
it's on sale there in the foyer
Every Good Endeavour.
It's a great book
and if you want to read
more broadly
along the lines
of where we're trying to preach
that's a great book
and an accessible book
in terms of
not too hard to read.
But we're talking about
when work becomes
I'm talking about
when work becomes
the means
by which we try
to control our world.
In effect
when it becomes an idol
something we put ahead
of everything else
including God
and we look to it
to provide things
like inner comfort
and meaning
which only a living relationship
with the living God
can give us.
and it becomes
an idol
an idol is something
which enables us
to proudly assert
our independence
from God
and also
from one another.
In mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis says
now I want
what I want you
to get clear
is that pride
is essentially
competitive.
It's competitive
by its very nature.
Pride gets no pleasure
out of having something
only out of having
more of it
than the next person.
We say people
are proud of being rich
or clever
or good looking
but they're not.
They are proud
of being richer
or cleverer
or better looking
than others.
We're a lot like
Mr Burns
in Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson's boss
a man who lives
for wealth
and Homer says
to him
Mr Burns
you're the richest
man I know
and Burns
says yes
but I'd trade it
all for more.
And so
this race
to the top
never finishes
and you know
it's really easy
for us to sit here
we can take shots
at the rich
and those
who have wealth
and in some ways
they are an easy
target
and the Bible
uses them
as an example
of warning to us
that an idol
the love of money
the desire to get it
lies deep
within me
and you
we want
what they have
and work
loses its dignity
when we use it
as a tool
to live independently
of God
it's a distortion
it's what we do
when we pursue
wealth
or relationships
or our own
sense of self-esteem
ahead of our
pursuit of God
in other words
when we put
work
ahead of him
and I'm not
saying this morning
I don't want you
to hear this
to come back
and hide in church
and religious activity
I'm saying
let your faith
in Christ
permeate who you are
in the way
that you go
about your work
and live your life
and if your work
gets in the way
of your faith
it has become
distorted
and so
Ecclesiastes
chapter 2
verse 17
I want to read
some of those
verses again
I hated life
because the work
that is done
under the sun
was grievous
to me
all of it
is meaningless
a chasing
after the wind
I hated
all the things
I had toiled
for under the sun
because I must
leave them
to the one
who comes
after me
and who knows
whether he will
be a wise man
or a fool
and yet he will
have control
over all the work
into which I have
poured my effort
and skill
under the sun
this too
is meaningless
and so my heart
began to despair
over all my
toilsome labour
under the sun
for a man
may do his work
with wisdom
and knowledge
and skill
and then he must
leave it to others
leave all that he owns
to someone
who has not worked
for it
this too
is meaningless
and a great
misfortune
what does a man
get for all the
toil and anxious
striving
with which he
labours under the sun
all his days
his work
is pain
and grief
even at night
his mind
does not rest
this too
is meaningless
and it's sort of like
this is the ultimate
self-made man
he's made his money
by blood
and sweat
and hard work
toil
grievous toil
that's been his lot
in life
he's lived under
the curse of Adam
in Genesis 3
he's worked hard
and he may have used
wisdom
and knowledge
and skill
verse 21
he's even had
sleepless nights
wrestling with work
related problems
ring a bell
when you're sitting
for exams
even at night
his mind
does not rest
and after a lifetime
of effort
he awakes
to the harsh
realisation
that he's going
to pass it on
and so in verse 18
he says
I must leave it
all to the one
who comes after me
and who knows
whether they're going
to be a brilliant
businessman
who will make it
all happen again
and continue
to grow the empire
or it may go
to a fool of a son
you know Luke 15
prodigal son stuff
and you can make
a will
but you can't
control things
once you're gone
wills can be
contested
the lawyers
will get a big
fee
won't you
the old saying
you can't take
it with you
verse 21
he must leave
all that he owns
to someone
who has not
worked for it
and he is
immensely frustrated
and in verse 17
I hated life
I hated all the
things I toiled
for
my heart
began to despair
meaningless
four times
through these
verses
what's it all
for
a puff
a vapour
it's fleeting
what he means
by puff
put some air
in your cheeks
that's a puff
the fleetingness
of life
so this man
has been in
control of his
world
and his wealth
he's used his
work as a
journey to riches
he's busted
his guts
to increase
what he has
and his
conclusion
a puff
I live
for a puff
in Ecclesiastes 5
the teacher
wrestles with
other aspects
of money
and wealth
verse 8
chapter 5
if you see
the poor
oppressed
in a district
and justice
and rights
denied
do not be
surprised at
such things
for one
official is
eyed by a
higher one
and over
them both
are others
higher still
and the
increase
from the
land is
taken by
all
and the
king
himself
profits
from the
fields
and what
he does
is he
draws this
hierarchy
of society
and on the
bottom of the
heap
the poor
who are
oppressed
and the
measure of
oppression
is that
justice and
rights are
denied to
them
and they're
in this
state of
helplessness
and stuff
happens to
them and
they can't
prevent it
they don't
set the
taxes or
the prices
or they
don't make
the rules
but they
bear the
brunt of
them
and at the
top of the
heap is the
rich king
and in
between is a
hierarchy of
officials who
all get their
bit
it's a
description of
the world
that we know
we live like
kings
Sydney Morning
Herald this
week
millionaire
businessman
this is a
quote out of
the paper
millionaire
businessman
Geoffrey
Cousins who
is also a
Telstra
director
has criticised
the wealthy
families in
Australia who
try to avoid
paying their
fair share of
taxes
saying that
they need to
remember that
they have a
civic duty to
contribute to
society
all the evidence
would say that
the percentage of
wealth in the
world and
certainly in
western countries
is falling into
fewer and fewer
hands
Cousins said
if you don't
increase taxes on
the wealthy
inevitably people's
standard of living
is going to
decline and
governments are
going to find it
extremely difficult
to maintain
services let alone
improve them
Cousins has called
that perspective
unethical
saying the
well-off have a
duty to contribute
to society
in a reasonable
way
the idea that if
you somehow
can somehow avoid
paying tax
then you ought to
take that
opportunity
I don't agree with
that at all
he said
the law is the
base level of
behaviour and I
find it very
depressing
when people say
well it's legal
therefore it's
fine
see
people of
immense privilege
and power sit
on top of the
tree with
multi layers of
officials under
them that was
the world
2500 years ago
it's the world
today
and not just
Australia
and some of us
want to climb
that pyramid
that's what we're
trying to do
and if you
don't want to
climb the
pyramid you
want your
children or
your grandchildren
to climb that
pyramid
or if you're a
child or a
grandchild you
feel the pressure
of mum and dad
wanting you to
do those things
and it's really
interesting because
he doesn't say
meaningless
he's really saying
that this is part
of the framework
of the broken
world in which
we live
it is the
state of
things and
it's not
meaningless
but the next
bit is
verses 10
and 11
this is
chapter 5
Ecclesiastes
whoever loves
money never
has money
enough
whoever loves
wealth is
never satisfied
with his
income
this too is
meaningless
as goods
increase so
do those who
consume them
and what
benefit are they
to the owner
except to
feast his eyes
on them
he's got a
house full of
appliances
never enough
never satisfied
and the more
stuff you've got
the less time
you have to
look at it
let alone
use it
isn't that
the truth
we have a
big throw out
just prior to
Christmas
we're doing it
at the moment
aren't we
it's um
what is it
council collection
at the moment
look what goes
out on the
street
and some of
you got wives
or husbands
who pick it
up
but there's
some great
stuff
I visited
a house
the other
day where
the front
veranda was
full of it
the person
warned me
before I
came
they said
you won't
believe my
place
and I
said oh
you're just
being the
woman who
says the
minister's
coming and
therefore you've
got to have
it all cleaned
before you
arrive
I'm used to
that
and she
said no
you won't
believe it
and she
was right
veranda
front room
then out the
back door
the entire
backyard
was full
of the
stuff that
had been
accumulated
on council
cleanups
and was
in your
water
so it
could be
sold on
gum tree
and that
was before
you got
into the
double
garage
which was
full of
the good
stuff
unbelievable
I hardly
ever talk
to a person
around here
who tells
me they're
rich or
wealthy
we live
in a very
affluent
area of
Sydney
where our
homes are
worth anything
from a million
dollars up
overseas
trips are
commonplace
private
schooling
has almost
been the
norm
in the
past
anyway
some of
us have
investment
properties
we have
the shopping
centre on
our doorstep
that draws
most people
from the
north shore
of Sydney
nobody says
they're rich
and strangely
many of us
feel like we
don't have
enough
we'd like
more security
a little
more wealth
we aren't
satisfied with
our incomes
and our
lifestyle
we would
still like
more
I would
I know a few
more things
that I would
like to have
in place
financially
but never
enough
never satisfied
not content
we are much
higher up the
pyramid than
many people in
Australia and
certainly the
world
can you imagine
going to a
dinner party
around here
and one of
the guests
says
you're
sipping
I don't
know what
you sip
around the
pool at a
dinner party
or around the
table
and one of
the guests
says I
think I
could live
on a lot
less and be
satisfied
I don't
need all
I've got
I could
really enjoy
benefiting others
with my
wealth
I'd love
to give a
significant
amount to
the building
development at
church
I'm thinking
giving 60%
of what I've
got to
mission
I really
don't think
it's great
for my kids
to be given
everything
but our
greed is
insatiable
the more we
have the more
our appetite
for more
and it
consumes
and it
destroys us
and our
lives are
described by
this passage
verse 12
the abundance
of a rich
man permits
him no
sleep
the labourer
sleeps
sweetly
verse 13
wealth is
hoarded to
the harm of
the owner
verse 14
wealth is
swept away
by misfortune
I've heard
many stories
of people
losing
everything
and the
rich man
eats in
darkness
with great
frustration
affliction
and anger
he's
entered the
world
with zip
and he
exits
with a
big
fat
zilch
so the
writer declares
the barrenness
of life
live for
money
and possessions
and wealth
hopeless
things to put
in the place
of God
and if that
is what you
live for
you live
for a
distorted
reality
they don't
journey with
us and
protect us
in the
afterlife
they give
us grief
and misery
in this
life
it robs
us of
sleep
it brings
harm to
the owner
it can be
swept away
in circumstances
which we do
not control
a life
never
satisfied
always
wanting
more
and unable
to cry
enough
and the
New Testament
is completely
in agreement
with the
wisdom
of
Ecclesiastes
in Luke
12
Jesus
told the
story
of the
rich
farmer
huge
harvest
what shall
I do
with such
great wealth
such wonderful
success
I'll pull
down the
old barns
I'll build
bigger ones
I'll say
to myself
take life
easy
settle
back
eat
drink
be merry
human
perspective
he'd
made
it
he
thought
his
idol
secured
his
future
to the
end
of
retirement
and
God
says
fool
this
very
night
your
life
will
be
demanded
of
you
and
who
will
get
what
you
have
prepared
for
yourself
his
wealth
is
about
to
pass
out
of
his
control
and
beyond
his
reach
and
Jesus
said
this
is
how
it
will
be
with
anyone
who
stores
up
things
for
himself
but
who
is
not
rich
towards
God
Jesus
calls
us
away
from
our
wealth
and
possessions
and
calls
us
to
trust
him
to
set
good
practices
now
to
work
not
just
for
ourselves
but
for
others
the
New
Testament
teaches
generosity
a
friend
of
mine
used
to
get
$40
a
week
at
Maccas
and
he
gave
$8
a
week
to
Christian
work
20%
$8
not
a
big
deal
income
$40
20%
not
a
bad
effort
in
my
view
but
you
know
when
he
was
getting
$30
grand
a
year
it
was
no
big
deal
to
give
$6
thousand
a
year
why
because
he
set
good
practices
when
he
didn't
have
very
much
so
how
then
shall
we
live
the
writer
comes
to
very
similar
conclusions
about
that
at
both
the
end
of
chapter
2
and
the
end
of
chapter
5
and
he
says
almost
the
same
thing
in
both
places
let's
read
chapter
5
again
verse
18
and
so
and
gratitude
being
grateful
for
the
small
things
the
things
that
we
take
for
granted
I
grew
up
in
a
family
where
we
didn't
say
grace
at
meals
it
wasn't
a
religious
family
I
still
don't
think
that
it's
an
essential
thing
to
do
something
that
you
must
do
as
a
Christian
but
what a
wonderful
moment
to
stop
as a
family
three
times
a
day
and
say
thank you
God
thank you
for this
meal
which
sustains
us
thank you
for this
food
which
I
enjoy
thank you
for what
you have
given
from your
hand
even if
it's
tuna
or salmon
or something
other yucky
such
substance
it's
gratitude
but
gratitude
also
reflects
dependence
the
person
who
bows
before
God
and
acknowledges
that
life
is
not
our
own
it's
given
to us
from
the
gracious
hand
of
God
who
provides
for
us
what
we
consume
in
the
work
that
we
do
is
for
a
wise
person
something
that
is
given
from
God's
hand
it
is
God's
gift
and
so
there's
no
such
thing
as
a
self
made
man
or
a
self
made
woman
every
breath
we
take
is
at
the
pleasure
and
the
discretion
of
God
and
we're
not
dependent
on
ourselves
we are
dependent
on
God
for
everything
and so
enjoy
with
gratitude
what
God
has
given
you
humbly
acknowledge
the immense
reality
that God
rules
his world
and controls
these things
we don't
have
a lovely
little
story
in one
of the
books
I
read
as I
prepared
this
message
and it's
a radio
conversation
on US
Navy
radio
two
people
speaking
to one
another
and the
first voice
says
please
divert
your
course
15
degrees
to the
north
to avoid
collision
please
divert
your
course
15
degrees
to the
south
to avoid
collision
this is
the
captain
of a
US
Navy
ship
I say
again
divert
your
course
no
I say
again
divert
your
course
this is
the
aircraft
carrier
enterprise
we are
a large
warship
of the
US
Navy
divert
your
course
now
this
is
a
lighthouse
your
call
see
when we
work for
wealth
it
creates
an illusion
that makes
us think
we're
big
and
powerful
it's
this
idol
that we
throw
ourselves
at the
feet
of
and we
worship
and serve
with all
our
might
and power
and this
good
God
given
gift
is
distorted
and the
writer of
Ecclesiastes
does an
absolute
demolition
job on
its
power
it robs
you of
sleep
it robs
you of
joy
it does
not bring
contentment
you leave
it to
fools
it saps
your energy
it takes
away
gratitude
and you're
gone
and with a
friend like
that who
needs
enemies
and the
New Testament
picks up on this
teaching from
Ecclesiastes
the Apostle Paul
writes to his
young protege
Timothy
he says
godliness with
contentment is
great gain
we brought
nothing into
the world
we can take
nothing out
of it
if we have
food and
clothing
we will be
content with
that
people who
want to get
rich fall
into temptation
and a trap
and into many
foolish and
harmful desires
that plunge
people into
ruin and
destruction
for the love
of money
is a root
of all kinds
of evil
some people
eager for money
have wandered
from the faith
and pierced
themselves
with many
griefs
Jesus said
in the sermon
on the mount
do not worry
saying what
shall we eat
or what
shall we drink
or what
shall we wear
for the pagans
run after all
these things
and your heavenly
father knows
that you need
them
but seek first
his kingdom
and his
righteousness
and all these
things will be
given to you
as well
therefore do not
worry about
tomorrow for
tomorrow will
worry about
itself
each day has
enough trouble
of its own
it's a call
to contentment
and dependence
our work is a
God given
gift
it's what he
calls us
to
God knows
that we
need to
eat and
drink and
be clothed
and be housed
but there is
something that
matters even
more
seek first his
kingdom and his
righteousness and
all these things
will be added
I could apply
this message by
telling you to
do all sorts of
things with your
wealth to
benefit God's
kingdom but I
don't want to do
that this morning
this passage calls
us to choose
between two
mighty objects
of worship
two different
objects as we
go about our
work to choose
today who we
will serve who
who we trust who
we depend on who
we work for
true story
Josh Short's
dad one of
our you know
Josh one of
our student
ministers his
dad ministers in
Canada and he
says the culture
in Canada at
funerals in the
eulogy is to
detail a person's
material successes
it's like Ray's
funeral on Thursday
if we'd read out
all the things he
owned and all the
things he possessed
and he said
his dad's
Josh's dad said
a friend of his
was taking a funeral
one day and he
read the man's
achievements and he
read all the things
that he owned and
then he stood beside
the casket he
crumpled the piece
of paper and he
let it fall to the
floor and he said
and what good is it
to him now
a puff
we can leave life
live we can leave
life with the
illusion of success
but reality will be
concerned when we
run into the
lighthouse who is
our maker
we all know what it
is to exercise faith
and trust and
dependence but what
is it in the God
who is never
satisfied who robs
us of sleep and
contentment and joy
and who can
malevolently take it
all in a moment and
does when we die or
the God and father of
our Lord Jesus Christ
who loves us who
knows our basic
needs who promises
to provide who
gives us sweet
sleep and contentment
as we trust in him
who is able to bring
us to rich and
everlasting life deal
or no deal who do
you work for
happen in the holy
raising
now
you