We are continuing our sermon series on Christ and culture.
! And this morning I have the privilege of talking about work, vocation, job, job.
! Martin Luther once said, a dairymaid can milk cows to the glory of God.
How does that happen? How can we do that?
How can we milk a cow to the glory of God?
How does that apply to us today?
Why do we work?
Why is it important to work?
All questions I hope to answer this morning in our Christ and Culture series this morning, topic of work.
Let's pray together.
Holy, holy, holy are you, O God.
Worthy of all praise this morning, I pray that that would occur.
God, as I stand up here, as I speak, I speak your words, I would make much of you and little of me.
God, that we would all be touched by you this morning.
God, that we would see our calling in our life as nothing elementary or simple or not important.
That we would see it as a calling from you, placed us where we are, to make much of you, to bring glory to you, to worship you alone.
Help us, God, this morning.
Help us to hear.
Help me to speak.
Help us to act as if we did hear a word from you this morning.
As I pray that will occur.
I love you.
We love you because you first loved us.
For your son, Jesus.
In his name I pray.
Amen.
Ephesians 4, verse 28 is our text this morning.
It's the main text, but we're going to springboard off of it.
We're going to go different directions in the Bible.
So, mark it.
Open up to 428 and we'll just kind of dig through.
Chapter 4, verse 28 reads,
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Now, this verse sets up very similar to the book or the letter to the Ephesians.
In that chapters 1 through 3 define for us who we are in Christ and because of Christ.
It tells us, because of the work of Christ on the cross, because of the work of Christ in our hearts, who we are.
So, we are adopted sons.
We who were dead are now alive.
We are one in Christ.
Chapters 1 through 3.
Chapters 4 through 6 then tell us how we should live in light of who we are in Christ.
So, a higher calling.
A higher way to live.
Well, if we read verse 28, we have the first part of who we are, a thief.
Second part, how we should live then.
A higher calling once again.
My sermon this morning is two parts as well to kind of keep the theme going.
First part, I'm going to talk about stealing, how it applies to us.
Second part, I'm going to talk about work and how that applies to us.
So, the verse starts out by saying, let the thief no longer steal.
Some quick observations, just for all of us to be on the same page here with this verse.
Paul is speaking to Christians.
If you flip back to the beginning of chapter 4, it says,
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord,
Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.
He's speaking to Christians.
He's writing to the church in Ephesus.
So, we can't say that this thief is not a believer.
He's speaking to believers.
Second observation, Paul is speaking to Christians who have not yet given up the practice of stealing.
He says, let the thief no longer.
If it was somebody or people who had once stolen and not stolen anymore,
it would say something in past tense, that those who stole.
Third observation really quick.
Thieves are not outside the grace of God.
These are Christians, once again, the church at Ephesus.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 9 through 11, we have a list.
It says, or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived.
Neither the sexual immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
That's where a lot of us want to grab that stone that Nathan talked about two weeks ago and throw it and just stop there.
But, verse 11, and such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sacrificed, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Even thieves are not outside the grace of God.
Think about the thief on the cross, Luke 23.
He turns to Jesus and says, remember me.
Jesus says, today you will be with me in paradise.
Fourth observation, real quick.
Salvation changes the heart, but does not automatically change a man's conduct or thinking.
Okay?
We have redemption stories all around us where this has happened.
Where guys have had addictions and the moment they've received Christ, the moment they become a Christian, that addiction is over with.
Drugs, alcohol, those types of things.
And those of redemption stories are to be rejoiced and to be excited about.
But that's not the norm.
That's not an automatic thing.
Coming to faith in Jesus does not end our struggle with sin.
Romans 6, Romans 7 tells us that it is a process.
We need to continually fight that sin.
This process is God perfecting us.
It's God working in us.
In a book called When Sinners Say I Do, which is what we've been studying through with a couple couples for marital counseling.
He gives an illustration of buttoning a shirt.
Now if you start at the top of your shirt and you get one button wrong, what happens?
All the rest of them are all wrong and your shirt's all wonky.
You've got to get the first one right and then you work your way down.
Well, it's the same here.
God is perfecting us.
We've got the first button.
And it's a process.
He is continually buttoning and getting that shirt right on us.
God is working in us.
Perfecting us.
It is a process where we fight against sin.
Turn to Romans real quick.
We'll end with these quick observations here.
Romans chapter 6.
Just so you don't just have to take my word for it.
Romans chapter 6 verse 12.
It says,
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness.
But present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.
And your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace.
Romans chapter 12.
Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2.
Satan doesn't automatically end our struggle with it.
So, the verse in Ephesians 4 verse 28 says,
Let the thief no longer steal.
It is no shock to you when I say that stealing is wrong.
We all agree.
Shake your heads.
Yes.
Stealing is wrong.
here's some things that stealing does.
Stealing seeks to turn over
what Adam was given to do.
And thus, us.
Adam was given to work.
He was commanded to work the garden.
It was a delight to work.
It was a joy.
But because of the fall,
work became toil,
became hard,
became painful.
And as we see in the curse
in Genesis chapter 3,
things that wore a delight
became, because of the fall, painful.
Women, childbearing, became painful.
Men, work, became toil.
Stealing seeks to turn over
what Adam and we were created to do.
So are there areas in your life
where you avoid work?
Where you avoid what you were given to do?
Where you avoid the curse?
Where there's laziness and slothfulness
in your life?
Are there times where you avoid work
at your job by cheating on your time
or stealing from your employees?
Employers.
I have a temptation every week.
Every week to do just that.
I have an hourly rate.
I work for a friend of mine
and he trusts me and believes me.
And he asks me,
what time do I get off at the end of the day?
And I can very easily say,
I got off at 5 when I left at 4.
I can very easily say,
I got off at 5.30.
The temptation is there for all of us.
The question is,
are you stealing from your employer?
Are you stealing and trying to turn over
what we were created and given to do?
That is, work.
Stealing is also self-worship.
Stealing is putting your needs
above everyone else's.
It is feasting on the labor of others.
It is forcing others to sacrifice,
to serve your own self-interest.
Think about it.
Somebody does the work,
and what do you do?
You steal.
You take.
I'm not calling anybody out.
You as a general term, I promise.
Me as well.
When we worship ourselves,
we are not worshiping Jesus.
Jesus, the one who died,
so that we could have victory
over this very sin
of self-worship and of theft.
So is there an area in your life
where you take advantage of others
by stealing or by avoiding
a particular job even?
Do you worship yourself
instead of the Creator?
Stealing is also not trusting God.
God who promises to provide
for His children.
Remember Ephesians 4, our text.
He is talking to true Christians.
Not trusting God.
You guys remember the Sermon on the Mount
in Matthew 6?
The subtitle will say something like
do not worry, do not be anxious.
Jesus says do not be anxious about tomorrow.
Look at the birds of the air.
Look at the fields.
The fields are dressed better than Solomon ever was.
The flowers are dressed.
The birds are provided for.
Much more does the Father provide for you.
See, God is the provider for His children
and stealing does not trust God.
A person steals because they no longer believe
God is God.
That He is who He says He is.
Stealing puts trust in the thief
and not in the giver.
Not in the Creator.
Think about the thief on the cross again.
At the end of His life.
Moments, seconds even before death.
Where was His trust put?
Where did He trust?
His entire life as a thief was
He trusted in His ability.
He trusted in what He could do
to avoid work.
He was hopeless in this moment at death.
He could not trust in Himself.
His bag of tricks was empty.
The skills that He learned
to avoid work
could not help Him.
And what did He do?
He turned to the Savior.
Are there areas in your life
where you are not trusting God to provide?
Are there areas in your life
where you say,
God, I've got this.
I will steal.
I will take care of this.
Maybe your anxiousness
has overcome you
and forced you to take
what isn't yours.
Do you believe the promises of the Bible?
Do you believe the promises of God?
If so, then why do you steal?
And let's be honest,
I'm not even talking about physical things
for the most part.
We steal the glory of God.
We steal the worship that is due Him.
And we try to worship ourselves.
That's bigger.
That's worse than stealing a pack of gum.
Or a stapler.
Or name it.
At work.
Time.
There are times
where we steal His worship
and His glory.
We try to bring it to us.
Bring it to our attention.
You believe the promises of God.
You believe.
Then why don't you trust?
Why don't you trust?
See, what you don't trust,
you don't worship.
So if you don't trust God,
you will not worship God.
God is our provider.
And stealing is not trusting God.
Last thing about stealing.
Stealing is a rebellion
against the sovereignty of God.
Stealing is a rebellion
against the sovereignty of God.
God provides.
God knows the needs of His children.
And He distributes material things accordingly.
To God is good,
no matter what.
God is good whether you
drive a nice car
or a dumpy car.
God is good.
No matter if you live
on the streets or not,
He is still good.
Stealing robs you
of accepting that truth.
Stealing rebels
against God
and His control.
To eat trust,
faith,
joy,
love,
all of them are robbed
from the life of a thief.
Think about it.
You trust in the Lord.
No.
You trust in yourself.
You have faith in God
and His promises.
No.
You have faith in your abilities
and your skills.
You have joy in the Lord.
No.
You have pain,
sorrow,
anxiousness
from yourself
and your circumstances.
You have love for God.
No.
You have love for self.
God is sovereign.
He is good.
We can trust Him completely.
We don't need to rebel
against this truth.
So,
in our text,
in Ephesians 4,
verse 28,
it says,
let the thief
no longer steal.
Christians
in the church at Ephesus.
Christians
at the church
at Christ's family church.
Christians
here
at 60 South.
Christians
in Dahlonega.
let the thief
no longer steal.
So,
that's the first part
of our verse.
Let us now
dig in
to our topic.
Work.
The second part
of the verse
applies,
again,
just like the first,
to all of us.
Speaks to all of us.
Whether we are a thief
or not,
and I would argue
that all of us
at one time
or another
are thieves,
have been thieves.
So,
here we go.
Gives us a definition
of a Christian
work ethic,
so to speak.
Verse 28,
let the thief
no longer steal,
but rather
let him labor
doing honest work
with his own hands
so that he may have
something to share
with anyone
in need.
Now,
what I have
is I have five
reasons why
we work.
And,
maybe or maybe not,
it applies,
it fits real well
into our Christ-end culture,
but here's why I put
five reasons
why we work.
Because I believe
that the how
we work,
how we
spend our time
working,
how we work
our tails off,
how we
act at work,
will come out of
the why
we work.
Okay?
So,
first one.
why do we work?
Five reasons
we work.
We've already
talked about it.
Reason one,
we work because
we were created
to work.
It was put in
from the Creator
in Genesis chapter 2
verse 15,
Adam was given
to work.
And it was a pleasure
to do so.
He delighted
in it.
See,
when we work,
as the text says
in Ephesians 4,
when we labor
doing honest work,
we bring glory to God.
We'll touch on that
in just a little bit.
See,
it was the curse.
It was the curse
that made work
a burden,
painful.
ESV translates it
toil.
Toil.
Now,
I had a curse-filled
day of work
this week.
510 feet of conduit
in trenches
and ditches,
running wire
under the scorching sun.
It was toil.
It was hard.
No matter
how hard it was,
no matter
how hard
and difficult,
I was created
to do
that work.
I was given
that moment
to work
to the glory
of God.
we work
because we were
created
to work.
Secondly,
we work
to provide
for our families.
In 1 Timothy
chapter 5,
and I'm going to
highlight verse 8,
but 3 through 8
gives us
a little bit of
guidance here.
Verse 8,
Paul says to Timothy,
if anyone
does not provide
for his relatives
and especially
for members
of his household,
he has denied
his faith
and is worse
than an unbeliever.
Those are
strong words.
If anyone
does not provide
for his relatives
and especially
for members
of his household,
he is denied
the faith
and is worse
than an unbeliever.
If you are
a Christian,
if you are
a child of God
and you do not
provide for your
family,
repent this morning.
God has put you
in the place
where you are
to provide
for your family.
Not to provide
for the pleasures
that you want
to participate in,
not to buy
all the toys
and fun things
that are out there
for you to play with.
I'm going to speak
to the young guys
here for a minute.
Now,
as Nathan did
a couple weeks ago,
opinion alert.
Okay,
here's my opinion,
but I think
it's based
in truth.
Okay?
Young guys,
you may be
paying bills.
You may be
paying a credit card bill,
paying a cell phone bill.
You may be
paying a car payment
or insurance.
But you have
not arrived.
You have not
arrived.
There is another
level to manhood.
There is another
level to
being a man
and that is
providing
for mouths.
That is for
providing
for a family.
There are mouths
to feed.
It's like the
picture of
the mother bird
coming in.
It's got food
hanging out of her beak
and the kids
are all open.
The baby birds,
not kids.
Baby birds are all
open squawking
and the mom
drops the worms
and stuff in the mouth.
Well,
that's you guys.
Men,
that's you.
You are to provide
for your families.
Are you providing
for your family?
Young guys,
do you want
to provide
for your family?
You have been
created
to do it.
You have been
commanded
to do it.
Now,
commercial break,
intermission.
Of course,
there are
disabled
mentally and
physically
people
who cannot
provide.
They cannot
work.
But what is
the heart
of that person?
What is the
heart of that
disabled person?
Do they
desire to
provide?
Do they
try to
provide
spiritually?
Do they
try to
provide for
their family?
Do they
want to?
Is there
a burden
in them
to provide?
Guys,
this is not
a loophole.
It's because
you have a
desire to.
It doesn't
mean you
do.
It's because
I say I'm
a stick.
It doesn't
make me
a stick.
We work
to provide
for our
families.
If anyone
does not
provide for
his relatives
and especially
for members
of his
household,
he has
denied the
faith and
is worse
than an
unbeliever.
Men,
provide for
your families.
Future men,
future
patriarchs of
your family,
provide for
your families.
Thirdly,
so first,
we work,
we were
created to
work.
Second,
we work
to provide
for our
families.
Third,
we work
to be
generous
from our
text in
Ephesians
chapter 4
verse 28.
Let the
thief no
longer
steal,
but rather
let him
labor,
doing honest
work with
his own
hands,
so that he
may have
something to
share with
anyone in
need.
We work
to be
generous.
Yes,
point two
was we
work to
provide for
our families,
but we also
work to be
generous.
We work
so that we
can give
more,
so that we
have something
to share
with anyone
in need.
Now that's a
paradigm shift.
That's a big
shift in
thinking compared
to what the
world teaches.
Agree?
That's a huge
change in
thought.
Now we have a
paradox here in
this verse.
The beginning of
the verse says,
let the thief
no longer
steal.
Selfish,
self-worship,
self-gratification,
self-provision,
and then at
the end it
says,
work to
share with
anyone in
need.
Selfless,
others-focused,
kingdom-minded,
gospel-centered,
God-exalting.
So, we no
longer think of
ourselves, we
think of others
and we provide
for them.
That's the
idea here.
Isn't that
what the
gospel of
Jesus Christ
does?
Isn't that
what Jesus
did himself?
He thought
of others
and went
ahead and
died for
others to
have life.
College
students,
you are on
a collision
course to
making good
money.
You're headed
in that
direction.
Some of you
maybe,
some of you
might not,
but most of
you have an
opportunity to
make good
money.
What are
you going to
work for?
What is
going to be
your end
goal?
Is it to
give away?
Is it to
be generous?
So, let's
say you make
$50,000,
$60,000,
$70,000,
$80,000 a
year.
What can
you live off
of?
What can
you live off
of?
Give the
rest.
Give the
rest away.
Be generous,
as Ephesians
4.28 tells
us.
Maybe,
just maybe,
you will be
put in that
position to
provide for
a kingdom
movement that
we have never
seen before.
Just maybe
your money
that you
give might
be the
fuel,
might be
what provides
for a
movement.
six-figure
income even.
That's not
for your
kingdom.
That's not.
That's for
God's kingdom.
Live modestly.
Give much.
Don't fall
for what
others in the
world tells
you.
You don't
need the
$50,000
car or
the $200
jeans or
the $300,000
house.
your kingdom
will fall.
That's what
you try to
build.
Babylon,
Roman Empire,
they built
their kingdoms
and what
happened?
They fell.
Now,
of course,
you're not
going to be
building a
Roman Empire,
but you are
going to be
building a
castle.
If you're
trying to build
your kingdom,
you're trying
to build
your castle.
You're trying
to build
your retirement,
you're trying
to build this,
you're trying
to build that.
You get all
your stuff
around you.
That stuff
is worthless.
Worth nothing
in the big
picture.
And here
in Ephesians
4, 28,
let the thief
no longer
steal, but
rather let
him labor,
doing honest
work with
his own
hands.
We would
agree with
that, yes.
Let us all
do honest
work with
our own
hands, dig
ditches,
teach students,
be lawyers,
doctors, heal
people.
Yes.
So that he
may have
something to
share with
anyone in
need.
That should
be our
drive.
That should
be our
direction we're
headed.
That's why we
get a six
figure income,
so that we
can then be
generous to
people in
need.
We can
provide for
them.
That's what we
can provide
for ourselves.
We work to
be generous.
Do you
work to be
generous?
College students,
will you
work to
be generous?
Fourthly,
we work to
build the
kingdom.
We work to
build the
kingdom.
Turn to
1 Peter 2.
If you've
got a
bookmark or
keep your
finger there
because we
will come
back to
this text
in a
moment.
In 1
Peter 2,
we have a
couple verses
and I want
to highlight
actually just
one right
now.
1 Peter 2,
verse 12.
The text
says,
keep your
conduct among
the Gentiles
honorable,
so that when
they speak
against you
as evildoers,
they may see
your good deeds
and glorify
God on the
day of
hesitation.
salvation.
We work
to build
the kingdom.
Keep your
conduct among
the Gentiles
honorable.
Now here,
Gentiles is a
people group,
yes,
but he's also
speaking,
the people group
represents sinners,
lost people,
non-believers.
Non-believers.
believers.
So they may
see your
good deeds,
the way
you work,
how you
work,
why you
work.
And the
end result
here from
this text,
so they may
glorify God
on the day
of visitation,
so that they
may become
Christians.
We work
to be
generous
in and out
of our
circle of
influence,
but now
we work
to preach
the gospel
in our
circle
of influence
and build
the kingdom.
Colossians 1
verse 28-29
says,
Him we
proclaim,
Him being
Christ,
warning everyone
and teaching
everyone with
all wisdom
that we may
present everyone
mature in
Christ.
for this
I toil,
there's that
word again,
painful,
struggling,
struggling with
all His
energy that
He powerfully
works within
me.
We have an
impact on
people around
us,
people who we
work with,
people who we
sit next to
and cubicle
next to us
or dig
ditches with
or heal
people with.
we have an
impact on
people's lives.
The people
in your life
have been
placed there.
You have
been placed
there for a
reason.
Been placed
there by a
sovereign God.
The question
is,
will you make
much of
yourself,
will you
steal,
self-worship,
or will
you make
much of
Jesus?
You're
going to
do one
of two
things.
You will
either make
much of
yourself by
complaining,
by grumbling,
by having
conversations in
secret about
co-workers and
the employer and
the company and
how horrible it
is, by
stealing, by
hating the
work and
even by being
apathetic and
not caring.
Or,
you will
make much
of Jesus
by talking
about Him,
by preaching
the gospel,
by having
hard conversations,
by working
to your
fullest
potential.
Now,
there's a
sports
cliche.
It applies
to a
temporal
thing,
sports,
temporal
activities,
here today,
maybe gone
tomorrow.
But we
can apply
it to an
eternal
application.
application
here.
Sports
of the
Slave is
leaving it
all on
the field,
giving our
everything out
there on
the field so
we have
nothing left.
That team
really left
it all on
the field.
They really
worked hard.
They played
hard.
They played
together.
They really
showed us
something.
We should
leave it all
on the field
when we
are at work.
We should
work to our
fullest potential.
Why?
Because we
can make
much of
Jesus.
We can
make much
of Him
by working
and leaving
it all
out on
the field.
As
Colossians
says,
do you
toil?
Do you
grow tired?
Do you
grow weary
to teach
and warn
the people
at your
workplace
with your
words and
with your
actions?
sins?
Let us
all repent
of our
selfishness
and fear.
Let us
trust God.
Let us
all work
as if
eternity
hangs in
the balance.
Let us
all work
and be
the employees
of the
month.
We should
be the
best employees.
We should
be the
guys working
our tails
off.
We should
be the
guys that
are hated
honestly.
Oh,
that Daniel,
he works
his tail off.
He makes
us all
look bad.
Amen.
Why do
you work
that way,
Daniel?
Well,
because God
tells me to,
because I
love Jesus,
I don't
make much
of Jesus.
Let me
tell you
about Jesus.
There's
opportunities
through the
way you
work to
make much
of Jesus,
to make
much of
Him,
or to
try to
make much
of
yourself.
Fifthly,
and we've
touched on
it,
pieces here
and there,
we work
to glorify
the King.
We work
to glorify
Jesus.
Okay?
Turn to
1 Corinthians
chapter 10.
Put a mark
in 1 Peter
because we'll
be back.
1 Corinthians
chapter 10.
If you're
familiar with
1 Corinthians
chapter 10,
then you know
where we're
headed.
at the end
of the
chapter,
we work
to glorify
the King.
Not only
do we work
to build
the Kingdom,
capital K,
we work
to glorify
the King,
capital K.
1 Corinthians
chapter 10,
verse 31.
So whether
you eat
or drink
or whatever
you do,
do all
to the glory
of God.
Give no offense
to Jews
or to Greeks
or to the
church of God.
Just as I try
to please
everyone in
everything I do,
not seeking
my own
advantage,
we work
to be generous,
we work
to be selfless,
but that of
many that
they may
be saved.
Our ultimate
purpose to
work,
our ultimate
trump card,
is the work
for the glory
of God
and to
the glory
of God.
So whatever
you do,
do all
the glory
of God.
This means
that whoever
you are
and whatever
you do,
no matter
what,
okay,
not no matter
what,
scratch that,
there's some
things we can't
do to the glory
of God
and you guys
can figure
those out.
Due to
the glory
of God.
William Tyndale,
who translated
the Bible
into English,
he says this,
he says,
if we look
externally,
look externally,
so from
our vantage
point,
there is a
difference
between
washing of
dishes
and preaching
of the
Word of
God.
But,
as touching
to please
God,
none at
all.
God
looketh not
principally
at the
external part
of the
work,
but much
more to
the heart
of Him
that does
it.
In other
words,
God looks
at the
heart of
a man
and not
the task
that the
man is
doing
or woman.
Think about
it,
He's right.
The Sermon on the
Mount,
Jesus repeatedly
raised the bar.
Why?
Because it was
about the
heart.
It was not
about what
the people
were doing.
He called
the religious
leaders
whitewashed
tombs.
Tombs have
dead carcasses,
dead bodies
in them,
dead corpses,
smelly,
stinky,
disgusting,
and the
outside,
it's all
pretty and
prim and
proper and
painted.
What you
do on the
outside does
not matter.
It's what's
on the inside
is what He's
saying.
It means
that whether
you gather
garbage,
you dig
ditches,
or you
preach to
thousands,
all of it
can be done
for the
glory of
God.
It also
means that
you're calling
to teach.
You're calling
to sit in a
cubicle all
day.
You're calling
to take care
of animals.
You're calling
to build
houses.
It's no
less important
than the
preacher who's
preaching on
Sunday morning
or at a
major conference
in a big
city.
Which also
means that
preachers in
this room,
you're not
any more
important,
I'm not
any more
important than
any of
you.
that is
empowering.
That is
freeing.
That is
good news
for all
of us.
All of us
in this
room who
are called
into the
world as
county
employees,
corporate
employees,
small business
owners,
preachers and
counselors,
all of us
can bring
glory to
God in
what we
do.
We can
all storm
the world
with the
gospel,
by the
power of
the gospel,
for the
love of
people,
and for
the love
of God.
See,
we infiltrate
the workplace
with the
gospel when
and only
when we
let the
gospel
infiltrate
every area
of our
life.
So then
culture is
then engaged
by the
gospel in
us,
in our
workplaces.
So why
do we
work?
The how
comes out
of why
we work.
we work
to bring
glory to
God.
We work
to be
generous.
Now,
if you
notice the
five reasons
that I
gave you,
there are
no selfish
reasons.
There are
no self-centered
me reasons.
We don't
work for
ourselves.
Sure,
we have
bills.
Sure,
we pay
our bills.
Sure,
we have
to buy
groceries.
We take
care of
our
families.
but
nothing
self-focused.
We're
to be
focused on
others in
God's
kingdom.
Because the
gospel leads
to a heart
change.
And when the
heart changes,
our want-tos
change as
well.
What we
want to
do.
So out of
the why,
why we
work,
the how
we work.
Why we
work because
of the
gospel,
how do
we work?
How do
we live?
I made
an assumption
this morning.
I assume
that everyone
in this
room are
Christians.
And the
assumption
was,
or is,
because you
can't live
this way
without
Christ.
You cannot
live and
work these
five ways.
You can
try.
But you
can't work
this way
without
Christ.
In
Ephesians
chapter 4
and in
1 Peter
chapter 2,
both texts
come after
deep doctrinal
statements about
who you are
as a
Christian.
Ephesians
chapter 4
verse 17
says,
Now this I
say and
testify in
the Lord
that you
must no
longer walk
as the
Gentiles do
in the
futility of
their minds.
They are
darkened in
their
understanding,
alienated from
the life of
God because
of the
ignorance that
is in
them due
to their
hardness of
heart.
They have
become callous
and have
given themselves
up to
sensuality,
greedy to
practice every
kind of
impurity.
But that
is not the
way you
learn Christ.
Assuming that
you have heard
about Him and
were taught in
Him as the
truth is in
Jesus, to
put off your
old self which
belongs to your
former manner of
life and is
corrupt through
deceitful desires
and to be
renewed in the
spirit of your
minds and to
put on the
new self created
after the
likeness of
God in true
righteousness and
holiness.
Put off the
old self.
Put on the
new.
You are a
Christian.
You are born
again.
You are bought
with the blood
of Jesus Christ.
Live like it.
Big doctrinal
statement.
1 Peter 2.
verse 9 and
10.
But you are a
chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a
people for His
own possession, that
you may proclaim the
excellency of Him who
called you out of
darkness into His
marvelous light.
Once you were not a
people, but now you
are God's people.
Once you had not
received mercy, but
now you have
received mercy.
mercy.
You are a chosen
race.
You are a royal
priesthood, and the
only way that you are
a royal priesthood is
that you are adopted
into the family of
God royalty.
So the assumption
is that everyone in
here is a Christian.
And it is a mistake
for me to assume
that.
Our text tells us
you cannot live this
way without being a
Christian.
So are you a
chosen race?
Are you a royal
priesthood?
Are you a holy
nation?
Do you know Jesus
as your Savior?
Do you work to His
glory or to your
own?
See, work really
becomes a worship
issue.
When you really
unfold it, when you
really peel back all
the layers, do you
work to worship
yourself or do you
work to worship
God?
And that is the
question we have to
ask and that we have
to answer this
morning.
So when we see
our, our, uh, uh,
what's it called?
What's it called,
Nathan?
Our Christ family
exists to, yeah, our
vision.
It's called a vision.
Hey, John, delete that
part out of the
recording.
When you see our
vision, we exist to
proclaim, display, and
experience the
supremacy of Christ in
all things.
It becomes a worship
issue.
Work is a worship
issue.
And I think as we go
through this sermon
series, we're going to
see that every topic
comes down to a
worship issue.
Every topic.
Do we worship
ourselves?
Do we worship
culture?
Do we worship
whatever big thing it
is?
Or do we worship
the creator?
Let's pray.