WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 and there are some copies of it over on the bookstall. 00:00:03.280 --> 00:00:06.060 I think there were three copies last I saw. 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:08.060 If we run out of them, we'll buy more of them. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:09.679 They're $12. 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:13.960 You can put money in one of the envelopes, put the envelope in the offering basket. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:16.359 That's how the bookstall works. 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:24.039 If you really, really want the book and would definitely be committed to reading it, 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.539 and you're in a situation where you literally don't have $12, you don't have any money, 00:00:27.539 --> 00:00:31.820 then just talk to me and we can get you a book if that's your situation. 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:36.619 Let's jump in. 00:00:36.979 --> 00:00:37.780 Turn in a Bible. 00:00:37.879 --> 00:00:39.140 If you have a Bible, turn to Genesis. 00:00:39.379 --> 00:00:40.740 We're going to start right at the beginning. 00:00:42.100 --> 00:00:46.620 Maybe if somebody could go over and get a few Bibles from the bottom of the bookstall. 00:00:48.060 --> 00:00:51.679 Maybe if somebody in the kitchen can turn that volume down. 00:00:55.340 --> 00:00:55.780 Great. 00:00:55.780 --> 00:00:56.100 Great. 00:00:57.539 --> 00:01:02.119 All right. 00:01:02.259 --> 00:01:04.420 So, what the Bible says about work. 00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:07.459 The first thing we learn is that God creates work. 00:01:07.659 --> 00:01:11.099 That's the first part of Every Good Endeavor talks about this theme. 00:01:12.939 --> 00:01:15.739 So, I want to look a little bit at Genesis 1 and 2. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:18.920 Genesis 1, 1 to 5. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:19.819 Let me read these verses. 00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:23.079 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:26.739 The earth was without form and void. 00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:28.799 That means it was formless and empty. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:30.799 And darkness was over the face of the deep. 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:34.099 And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:36.599 And God said, let there be light. 00:01:36.659 --> 00:01:37.379 And there was light. 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:39.099 And God saw that the light was good. 00:01:39.579 --> 00:01:41.560 And God separated the light from the darkness. 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:42.900 God called the light day. 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:44.379 And the darkness he called night. 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:45.120 And there was evening. 00:01:45.240 --> 00:01:46.600 And there was morning the first day. 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:50.399 Now, I won't read the whole Genesis 1 creation account. 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:57.140 But the first thing we see in the Bible about work is we see God working. 00:01:58.019 --> 00:01:59.359 That's the first verse of the Bible. 00:01:59.459 --> 00:02:01.979 God creating the heavens and the earth. 00:02:01.980 --> 00:02:02.980 God creating the earth. 00:02:02.980 --> 00:02:03.980 God creating the earth. 00:02:03.980 --> 00:02:06.200 Going from verse 2. 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:08.319 Darkness, formlessness, emptiness. 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:14.379 And in chapter 1, going to light and structure and fullness. 00:02:14.700 --> 00:02:16.520 So, first day, let there be light. 00:02:16.640 --> 00:02:21.620 The first three days, we see God sort of structuring or ordering the universe. 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:24.580 There's different sort of setting out different realms. 00:02:24.580 --> 00:02:27.880 The day and the night. 00:02:28.060 --> 00:02:30.800 The heaven and or the sky and the land. 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:32.880 The waters and the land. 00:02:34.880 --> 00:02:39.140 And then the, let's see. 00:02:40.820 --> 00:02:42.040 That's second day. 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:42.280 Right. 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:43.660 The waters and the land is day 3. 00:02:45.260 --> 00:02:49.340 And then day 4 through 6, we see God filling each of these realms. 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:56.400 So, we see God filling the sky with lights to sort of govern the sky. 00:02:57.140 --> 00:03:02.460 Then day 5, we see God filling the waters and the land with birds. 00:03:02.520 --> 00:03:04.640 Or filling the waters with birds and fish. 00:03:05.219 --> 00:03:08.539 And then day 6, we see God filling the land with animals. 00:03:08.780 --> 00:03:10.680 And ultimately with people. 00:03:13.939 --> 00:03:16.960 So, if you look, you know, think about how does Genesis 1 present God? 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:24.280 Well, it presents God sort of like an architect or a builder or an artist who is creating out of nothing. 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:31.360 Who is shaping, forming, filling, making something orderly and beautiful. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:35.480 And through his creative word. 00:03:36.640 --> 00:03:37.980 If you look at Genesis 2. 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:43.379 Turn the page to Genesis 2, verses 7 and 8. 00:03:43.379 --> 00:03:52.680 This sort of, Genesis 2 sort of is almost like focusing in on a smaller part of what Genesis 1 speaks about. 00:03:54.019 --> 00:03:55.139 Genesis 2, 7 says, 00:03:55.259 --> 00:04:01.340 Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. 00:04:01.419 --> 00:04:03.419 And the man became a living creature. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.840 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east. 00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:10.180 And there he put the man whom he had formed. 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:16.660 So, Genesis 2, the picture of God that we see in Genesis 2, it's almost like God is like a gardener. 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:18.040 He's planting a garden. 00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:20.160 He's forming the man out of the ground. 00:04:20.620 --> 00:04:25.939 So, there's imagery of God almost being like a manual laborer or an agricultural worker. 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:31.399 So, even just in these first two chapters of the Bible, 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:37.340 we see God depicted as working in these various different ways. 00:04:37.339 --> 00:04:40.299 When you say God, is it God the Son? 00:04:43.419 --> 00:04:47.859 It's God the, well, I think the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are working together in creation. 00:04:48.619 --> 00:04:54.539 So, the whole trinity is never completely divided. 00:04:54.540 --> 00:05:03.000 So, I think God the Father is sort of decreeing and God the Son is carrying it out in his word. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:05.160 And the Spirit is involved as well. 00:05:05.660 --> 00:05:08.220 But, we won't try to parse that out right now. 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:10.120 Genesis 2, 2. 00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:12.620 Jump back up to Genesis 2, 2. 00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:14.900 We also see that God rests. 00:05:15.060 --> 00:05:17.180 On the seventh day, God finished his work that he had done. 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:19.960 And he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:21.140 What does that mean? 00:05:21.139 --> 00:05:27.839 Well, it's sort of, again, this image of God sitting back, looking at the work that he's completed, and taking joy in it. 00:05:28.579 --> 00:05:30.779 I mean, have you ever finished a project? 00:05:31.779 --> 00:05:35.039 Some of you have jobs where it feels like there is no project that is ever finished. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:37.139 But, have you ever finished a project? 00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:40.360 That's the nice thing about working in construction or something concrete. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:43.319 You can actually get to the end of a project. 00:05:43.479 --> 00:05:44.800 Of course, then the roof starts to leak. 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:46.139 And then you have to fix things. 00:05:46.139 --> 00:05:49.419 And so, again, our work on earth is never quite done. 00:05:50.539 --> 00:05:53.419 But, have you ever got to the end of something? 00:05:53.839 --> 00:06:01.579 You know, you turn in your final term paper, or whatever it is, and you look back, and you take some joy, right? 00:06:01.620 --> 00:06:04.360 There's some enjoyment in a finished work. 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:15.560 And the Bible is saying that's actually a very tiny reflection of sort of what God felt as he looked over his creation. 00:06:15.960 --> 00:06:18.460 I get that satisfaction cutting my lawn. 00:06:18.900 --> 00:06:19.280 Yes. 00:06:19.520 --> 00:06:19.840 Yep. 00:06:19.960 --> 00:06:22.360 You see the lawn nice and neat. 00:06:23.220 --> 00:06:23.439 Yeah. 00:06:23.520 --> 00:06:27.000 It goes from being a hayfield to being orderly rows of, you know. 00:06:27.220 --> 00:06:27.460 Yeah. 00:06:28.099 --> 00:06:28.459 Yes. 00:06:29.099 --> 00:06:29.379 Right. 00:06:29.500 --> 00:06:31.039 Even very, even, right, little things. 00:06:31.159 --> 00:06:32.419 So, God finished the work that he had done. 00:06:32.479 --> 00:06:34.479 He rests in his sovereignty and his joy. 00:06:35.819 --> 00:06:37.799 So, that's the first thing we see, God as a worker. 00:06:38.579 --> 00:06:41.319 Second thing we see is that human beings are created in God's image. 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:46.179 And part of bearing God's image is we are created and commanded to work. 00:06:46.859 --> 00:06:50.039 So, Genesis 1.27, God created man. 00:06:50.039 --> 00:06:51.919 God created human beings in his own image. 00:06:52.019 --> 00:06:53.740 In the image of God, he created him. 00:06:53.859 --> 00:06:55.699 Male and female, he created them. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:57.319 And God blessed them. 00:06:57.699 --> 00:07:08.019 God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. 00:07:08.139 --> 00:07:12.899 So, right, God brings life to the world and brings life to human beings. 00:07:12.899 --> 00:07:18.000 And then God says, carry on this life-giving process. 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:19.759 Be fruitful and multiply. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:26.519 And then we've seen God sort of structures and orders the world and fills it with wonderful things. 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:30.219 And God says to human beings, rule over this. 00:07:30.379 --> 00:07:31.560 Sort of cultivate this. 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:35.439 Fill the earth and subdue it. 00:07:35.699 --> 00:07:36.500 Sort of exercising. 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:41.060 God is the king over all. 00:07:41.060 --> 00:07:45.100 And we're sort of delegated some of his authority to rule over his creation. 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:49.639 Chapter 2, verse 15. 00:07:50.339 --> 00:07:54.180 It says, the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 00:07:54.340 --> 00:07:55.740 So, here's a very explicit statement. 00:07:56.579 --> 00:08:01.019 Work is not just part of God's curse on a fallen world. 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:05.100 Work is something that we were created and commanded to do from the beginning. 00:08:05.100 --> 00:08:10.200 We also see that work is intended to be a team effort. 00:08:11.080 --> 00:08:12.900 God tells Adam, work and keep the garden. 00:08:13.180 --> 00:08:16.960 And then verse 18 says, God says, it's not good the man should be alone. 00:08:17.080 --> 00:08:18.740 I will make him a helper fit for him. 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:22.100 That word helper can mean an ally. 00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:24.980 Right, God says, be fruitful and multiply. 00:08:25.140 --> 00:08:27.040 That is impossible to do with one person. 00:08:28.220 --> 00:08:32.519 Adam and Eve need one another in order to begin fulfilling that command. 00:08:32.519 --> 00:08:39.319 And I think more broadly speaking, you know, human work is intended to be something. 00:08:39.980 --> 00:08:44.360 It's not just intended to be a solitary endeavor that we do completely on our own. 00:08:44.439 --> 00:08:49.000 There's a way that God has created us to work as a team. 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:54.039 Throughout the Bible, if you look just throughout the Old Testament, 00:08:54.179 --> 00:09:00.559 I've listed a few different people, different kinds of doing very different kinds of work. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:07.679 So, end of Genesis, Joseph, he becomes a gifted administrator who saves Egypt from starving in a famine. 00:09:09.579 --> 00:09:13.939 He went from being in a dungeon to being in the palace, 00:09:14.059 --> 00:09:23.139 but he used his authority in the palace to gather up the grain and sort of organize this program 00:09:23.139 --> 00:09:25.959 to mitigate the effects of the famine. 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:31.379 Exodus, we see Bezalel and Aholiab, creative artists who fashioned materials for the tabernacle, 00:09:32.100 --> 00:09:33.400 according to God's commission. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:34.840 We see the book of Ruth. 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:41.540 Ruth diligently goes out to the field and gleans in order to feed her elderly mother-in-law. 00:09:41.820 --> 00:09:47.860 So, we see Ruth being diligent to care for a vulnerable relative. 00:09:48.300 --> 00:09:51.560 We see Ezra, teacher of God's word and priest of God's people. 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:54.699 Nehemiah, an urban planner or developer who rebuilds Jerusalem. 00:09:54.839 --> 00:10:02.419 Esther, a high official in an ungodly empire who yet works for justice and protecting God's vulnerable people. 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:04.379 These are just a very few examples. 00:10:04.579 --> 00:10:10.259 But think about how broad a variety of work you see in just these six characters. 00:10:10.259 --> 00:10:14.419 And you could find many, many, many other characters in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament 00:10:14.419 --> 00:10:16.259 who do all kinds of different things. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:22.299 But these are just some of the characters who we have more extensive stories about. 00:10:23.340 --> 00:10:26.480 One note, work in the Bible is a broader category than paid employment. 00:10:26.819 --> 00:10:32.580 When we talk about work, we tend to equate that with paid employment. 00:10:32.580 --> 00:10:40.700 So, some people might say to parents, especially to mothers, do you work? 00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:42.660 No, I stay home. 00:10:43.139 --> 00:10:44.480 Well, goodness. 00:10:45.500 --> 00:10:47.759 It can be a lot of work to stay home and raise children. 00:10:49.220 --> 00:10:51.220 Do you work in the home or do you work out of the home? 00:10:51.259 --> 00:10:52.060 Or both, right? 00:10:52.220 --> 00:10:54.020 Like, that's maybe a better question. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:56.620 But there's lots of kinds of work. 00:10:57.720 --> 00:11:02.220 Another example of work would be, again, as Ruth did, caring for elderly or disabled relatives. 00:11:02.580 --> 00:11:04.580 That's something that's often not paid. 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:10.400 Sometimes it might be paid, but usually within a family you're probably not getting paid. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:12.740 But, yeah, that's a very important work. 00:11:12.820 --> 00:11:15.280 You might spend a significant portion of your life doing that. 00:11:16.920 --> 00:11:18.820 Any kind of volunteer service. 00:11:20.540 --> 00:11:22.180 And there's all kinds of things. 00:11:22.300 --> 00:11:22.980 Mentoring, tutoring. 00:11:23.300 --> 00:11:28.220 There's all kinds of things are significant work that aren't necessarily paid. 00:11:28.940 --> 00:11:35.779 In general, depending on the society that you live in, there might be important tasks that the society does not value economically. 00:11:37.340 --> 00:11:39.600 In some societies, that might be care of orphans. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:47.980 You know, if you want to start an orphanage in some places in the world, you might have to find the money somewhere else. 00:11:48.019 --> 00:11:50.440 Because there might not be anybody who would pay you for that. 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:54.380 And the children clearly can't pay you to take care of them. 00:11:54.760 --> 00:11:54.940 Right? 00:11:55.160 --> 00:12:00.840 So there's all kinds of important work in the world that are not paid. 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:05.379 So I want to acknowledge that. 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:13.180 And anyway, so in this class, a lot of people might be focusing on their jobs. 00:12:15.139 --> 00:12:15.840 Not everyone. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.940 But I just want to acknowledge that work can be much broader than that. 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:23.660 And we should think of our sort of God's calling for us to work as broader than that. 00:12:23.659 --> 00:12:30.299 Sometimes the most important work you might be doing at a certain point in your life might have nothing to do with your job. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:37.179 We shouldn't always think that our job is sort of the most important component of that. 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:38.719 Always and everywhere. 00:12:41.659 --> 00:12:42.199 What else? 00:12:42.199 --> 00:12:44.799 Human beings are also invited to enter into God's rest and delight. 00:12:46.079 --> 00:12:47.259 There's an interesting contrast. 00:12:47.259 --> 00:12:51.319 So there's an old Babylonian epic poem called Enuma Elish. 00:12:52.259 --> 00:13:01.000 And it basically, one of the parts of it is, it's the story of how these pagan Babylonian gods were fighting and conniving with each other. 00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:05.419 And how the world came out as a result of a fight between different gods. 00:13:07.319 --> 00:13:10.559 And in that epic, the god Marduk says, 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:13.340 I will bring into being a lowly primitive creature. 00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:15.139 Man shall be his name. 00:13:15.139 --> 00:13:18.659 He shall be charged with service of the gods that they might be at ease. 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.080 So the Babylonian view is that the gods get tired of working. 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:28.199 And so they make people to be their slaves so that the gods can rest and have leisure. 00:13:30.220 --> 00:13:32.340 Now, isn't that interesting to compare to the Bible? 00:13:33.419 --> 00:13:33.600 Right? 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:37.360 We see God, first of all, we see God is a worker and God rests. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:42.039 And God actually invites, as his image bearers, we're invited to enter into both of those things. 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:49.079 God invites us to share in some of his work, to participate in some of his work, and also to enjoy his rest. 00:13:50.699 --> 00:13:52.519 Isn't that a much better story to live in? 00:13:52.719 --> 00:13:52.799 Right? 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:55.639 Isn't that a much better God to serve? 00:13:57.259 --> 00:14:03.599 You know, praise God that we have a God who cares about us and who doesn't just use us. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:11.399 So, alright, any questions about God created and commanded us to work? 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:13.519 Or comments so far? 00:14:18.019 --> 00:14:18.820 Alright, we'll go on. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:19.360 Second point. 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:20.820 God frustrates work. 00:14:21.379 --> 00:14:23.480 I've deliberately phrased that a little bit provocatively. 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:30.100 So, sadly, the fact that God created and commanded us to work is not the whole story. 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:31.519 We live on the other side of the fall. 00:14:31.920 --> 00:14:35.279 There's no part of God's creation that is unaffected by sin. 00:14:36.060 --> 00:14:42.460 So, what we see in the Bible is that after the fall, work becomes toilsome and frustrating and often futile. 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:45.840 Paul talks about this in Romans. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:46.200 He says, 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:51.519 The creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:55.300 And most people think that the him in that verse refers to God. 00:14:56.580 --> 00:15:01.580 Some people think it refers to Adam, but it's a little odd to think of Adam subjecting creation to futility. 00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:05.680 I think it's obviously a result of Adam's sin, Adam and Eve's sin. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:09.639 But it seems like it's saying God subjected creation to futility. 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:13.740 Sort of God frustrated human work after the fall. 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:17.980 Now, there's an end of that verse that talks about the hope of restoration and freedom. 00:15:18.100 --> 00:15:18.820 We'll get to that later. 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:27.060 That word futility in Romans 8.20 is the one New Testament reference to the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:15:27.820 --> 00:15:36.240 But it's the word that appears over and over in Ecclesiastes that is translated in different translations as vanity or meaninglessness or emptiness or a mere breath. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:47.159 And Ecclesiastes basically says everything is empty, a breath, vanity, ephemeral, quickly passing away. 00:15:47.259 --> 00:15:48.200 The Hebrew word is hebel. 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:57.020 And Paul and Ecclesiastes are really both commenting back on the story of the fall in Genesis 3. 00:15:57.460 --> 00:16:02.360 So in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve, they don't follow God's commands. 00:16:02.500 --> 00:16:04.060 They don't work and keep the garden. 00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:05.060 Right? 00:16:05.140 --> 00:16:06.600 An intruder comes into the garden. 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:14.259 And instead of kicking him out like they were supposed to do, they decide that he has a better idea than God. 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:22.139 And so they follow the serpent and are deceived and everything falls apart. 00:16:22.139 --> 00:16:37.279 So the relevant part of this to work comes in chapter 3, verses 16 to 19, where God speaks to Eve and Adam about the consequences of their sin. 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:40.179 So Genesis 3.16, to the woman he said, 00:16:40.259 --> 00:16:42.580 I will surely multiply your pain and childbearing. 00:16:42.980 --> 00:16:44.659 In pain you shall bring forth children. 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.200 Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you. 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:53.700 And to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:54.640 you shall not eat of it. 00:16:54.759 --> 00:16:56.320 Cursed is the ground because of you. 00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:59.000 In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 00:16:59.740 --> 00:17:03.180 Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field. 00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:07.580 By the sweat of your faith you shall eat bread till you return to the ground. 00:17:07.580 --> 00:17:11.160 For out of it you are taken, for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. 00:17:11.900 --> 00:17:17.779 So again, the same work that God had originally commissioned people to carry out, right? 00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:19.819 Being fruitful and multiplying and filling the earth. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:22.039 Well, there's going to be pain. 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:25.079 Beginning with the bearing of children. 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:30.099 And we might add, continuing in the process of raising them, right? 00:17:30.339 --> 00:17:32.599 There is pain that comes along with that. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:38.200 There's also, right, work's meant to be a team effort, 00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:40.299 but here we see there's going to be power struggles. 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:42.819 Your desire will be for your husband, he shall rule over you. 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:44.399 That's a picture of a power struggle. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:47.920 It's not a picture of how marriage was meant to work. 00:17:49.140 --> 00:17:51.920 It's not the picture of marriage that Paul gives in Ephesians 5. 00:17:56.259 --> 00:18:00.420 But it's a picture of what marriage looks like in a fallen world. 00:18:00.560 --> 00:18:02.540 With sinful people who want their own way, 00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:05.700 and are trying to get their own way at the expense of the other. 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:09.540 We see God's words to Adam, right? 00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:11.800 Cultivate the ground, work and keep the garden. 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:12.480 Guess what? 00:18:12.539 --> 00:18:14.779 There's going to be, you're going to get thorns and thistles. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:17.940 You're going to get poison ivy. 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:18.879 I have poison ivy. 00:18:19.339 --> 00:18:22.119 I have been, it's nasty, right? 00:18:24.259 --> 00:18:28.480 That's a particular manifestation of thorns and thistles that is very real to me this week. 00:18:30.019 --> 00:18:30.539 Right? 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:32.279 Sweat and pain, right? 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:33.559 That's what work looks like. 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:35.799 That's what clearing your yard looks like. 00:18:35.799 --> 00:18:43.500 Anyway, going on, we see this happening further in Genesis. 00:18:43.899 --> 00:18:48.259 Genesis 11 is another example of God frustrating people's work. 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:52.819 And in particular, it's God frustrating people's idolatrous ambitions. 00:18:53.919 --> 00:18:54.079 Right? 00:18:54.159 --> 00:18:56.539 The Tower of Babel, they say we want to build a tower that reaches the heaven. 00:18:57.980 --> 00:18:59.519 Where do you get the idea you can do that? 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:03.220 You know, we want to be greater than everybody else in the world. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:09.359 We want to have our place of security in this tower, this temple tower. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:12.019 And God says, uh-uh-uh. 00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:14.099 Uh-uh-uh. 00:19:14.700 --> 00:19:15.799 Not going to let that happen. 00:19:19.579 --> 00:19:20.240 Practical question, right? 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:21.539 Have you ever been frustrated in your work? 00:19:22.639 --> 00:19:23.400 It hasn't. 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:24.420 Oh, yeah. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:24.980 Okay? 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:29.480 Have you ever thought that part of that? 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:35.680 Now, there's all kind of frustration that's due to the sinful actions of human beings, 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:38.600 but do you realize that God has a providential purpose behind it? 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:43.080 God frustrates human work so that we don't idolize it, 00:19:43.140 --> 00:19:45.000 and so we don't look to it to save us. 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:48.120 And so instead, we look to him for our salvation and our hope. 00:19:48.460 --> 00:19:49.940 That's why God frustrates work. 00:19:49.940 --> 00:19:56.519 It's to show us that in a fallen world, we cannot fix things by ourselves. 00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:00.480 That we still rely on him as our creator and sustainer, 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:01.799 and that he is the redeemer. 00:20:02.860 --> 00:20:04.259 Not you and me. 00:20:07.860 --> 00:20:11.400 Throughout the Bible, I think we see there's sort of two main dangers we fall into 00:20:11.400 --> 00:20:13.580 in our attitudes toward work after the fall. 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:16.559 One would be idolatry, and one would be idleness. 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:21.200 And the Old and New Testament both warn against these things. 00:20:21.740 --> 00:20:24.119 We see this balance in the Old Testament Sabbath commands. 00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:25.220 Six days you shall work. 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:26.119 Don't be idle. 00:20:26.259 --> 00:20:27.519 Don't sit around doing nothing. 00:20:28.059 --> 00:20:28.799 All week. 00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:30.980 Get up and do something. 00:20:31.619 --> 00:20:34.200 Even if you don't have a job, get up and do something useful. 00:20:35.259 --> 00:20:35.659 Right? 00:20:35.819 --> 00:20:41.159 For the people you live with, for your neighbors, for somebody else in the world. 00:20:41.740 --> 00:20:41.940 Right? 00:20:43.779 --> 00:20:44.679 Six days you shall work. 00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:46.140 And then on the seventh day you shall rest. 00:20:46.180 --> 00:20:52.720 And there were very strict commands about rest on the seventh day in the Old Testament. 00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:58.680 And the whole thing was remember that God created you and God redeemed you. 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:01.019 Don't worship your work. 00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:02.140 That's the point of the Sabbath. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:03.980 One of the points of the Sabbath. 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:11.900 We see in the New Testament describing this balance in a similar way in Ephesians 2, 8 through 10. 00:21:12.460 --> 00:21:13.099 What does it say? 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:15.339 It says salvation is not a result of works. 00:21:16.860 --> 00:21:17.339 Right? 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:20.920 Don't think that your work of whatever kind can save you. 00:21:21.059 --> 00:21:30.740 Don't think that it can make your life and sort of prove your worth in this world. 00:21:30.740 --> 00:21:36.680 Because whatever you do, no matter how wonderful it is, it will never bear that weight. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:37.740 You'll never be able to do that. 00:21:38.359 --> 00:21:42.799 But then in chapter 2, verse 10, Paul says, remember you're created in Christ Jesus for good works. 00:21:44.279 --> 00:21:49.579 You know, God hasn't made you a new creation in Christ so you can just sit back and watch TV all day. 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:50.019 Right? 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:55.559 God's made you a new creation in Christ so you can do something valuable and meaningful in this world. 00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:57.879 That glorifies him. 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:01.859 Any questions? 00:22:02.440 --> 00:22:04.059 Comments before we move on to part 3? 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:10.200 Alright, part 3. 00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:11.359 God redeems work. 00:22:14.659 --> 00:22:16.220 We're doing Colossians this fall. 00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:23.000 And there's a wonderful verse in Colossians 1, 19 and 20 where Paul says, 00:22:23.140 --> 00:22:30.079 In Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, 00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:33.960 whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 00:22:34.019 --> 00:22:43.460 In other words, Christ's purpose is to bring everything in creation into order once again. 00:22:43.460 --> 00:22:44.460 Right? 00:22:44.660 --> 00:22:49.559 He's going to put back what the fall sort of broke and shattered apart 00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:53.720 and bring things back into God's good and life-giving ways. 00:22:57.819 --> 00:23:00.160 We also see that second part of the Romans verse, 00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:05.620 Creation was subjected to futility, but that's not the last word in hope 00:23:05.620 --> 00:23:09.720 that one day the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption 00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:11.940 and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 00:23:11.940 --> 00:23:12.960 So that's where we're headed. 00:23:14.380 --> 00:23:18.100 As believers in Christ, that's what we have to look forward to, 00:23:18.600 --> 00:23:21.860 is God is redeeming work. 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:27.100 1 Corinthians 15, 58, Paul speaks to believers saying, 00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:30.200 Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. 00:23:30.600 --> 00:23:33.160 And this is at the end of the chapter about the resurrection of Jesus. 00:23:33.360 --> 00:23:38.059 Because Jesus has risen from the dead, be steadfast, be immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord. 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:39.880 Now, what is the work of the Lord? 00:23:39.880 --> 00:23:45.200 Paul's probably primarily focusing on sort of work that furthers the gospel. 00:23:45.780 --> 00:23:48.360 But again, you know, Colossians 3, 17 says, 00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:51.900 Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 00:23:52.020 --> 00:23:53.440 giving thanks to God the Father through him. 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:59.220 So can we do our daily work as living out 1 Corinthians 15, 58? 00:23:59.299 --> 00:24:01.680 I think we can if we're doing it to the glory of God. 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:03.539 Paul was a tent maker. 00:24:04.120 --> 00:24:05.660 Yeah, that's right. 00:24:05.660 --> 00:24:07.680 That's right. 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:14.980 He was, right, he often made tents so that he could do the more important work for him, 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:18.640 which was preaching the gospel and planting churches, 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:23.680 which at some points, you know, there was no way he could be paid for that, right? 00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:27.060 So again, there's an example where sometimes you might take a job 00:24:27.060 --> 00:24:29.700 because you really want to have the freedom to do something else. 00:24:29.860 --> 00:24:31.000 And Luke was a physician. 00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:32.500 Now, there's value in making tents. 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:35.019 I don't want to deprecate that, right? 00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:37.559 It was really valuable, wasn't it? 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:41.319 I mean, there's value in making tent, you know, 00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:45.279 so that, you know, if you're camping out or if that's what you live in, 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.700 that rain doesn't, you know, rain doesn't get you wet at night 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:52.220 and you don't get sick because you're wet and cold all night, right? 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:53.259 So there's a value in that. 00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:56.879 But I think for Paul, he would have said tent making is a means to an end 00:24:56.879 --> 00:25:02.099 because if he had the opportunity to do the other thing full time, he did it. 00:25:02.099 --> 00:25:11.980 Anyway, let me skip down to how do we approach our work as ambassadors of Christ and of his new creation. 00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:21.099 So in this book, Tim Keller outlines four distinct but overlapping ways the gospel can and should affect our approach to work. 00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:31.939 So four things that I want to sort of throw out for us to think about and hopefully come back to in future weeks. 00:25:32.399 --> 00:25:38.879 So first, what does it mean to work according to God's redemptive purposes? 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:44.840 One, Tim Keller says, developing a Christian worldview leads us to work distinctively, 00:25:45.380 --> 00:25:49.960 seeking to shape culture in ways that honor God and reflect his creative and redemptive designs. 00:25:50.760 --> 00:25:54.760 And he points out that sort of an emphasis in the Reformed or Calvinist tradition of theology. 00:25:56.360 --> 00:26:00.540 As Abraham Kuyper, that quote is a sort of expression of that. 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:04.060 So that's one important thing is work distinctively. 00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:05.260 Second, work humbly. 00:26:05.259 --> 00:26:11.059 He says, we should also understand the idea of God's providence and common grace. 00:26:11.180 --> 00:26:15.259 In other words, God provides for the whole union. 00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:16.960 God has woken us up this morning. 00:26:17.559 --> 00:26:20.740 Everyone who's alive this morning, God has given life to them. 00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:25.240 Whether they recognize him or not, whether they worship God or not, 00:26:25.819 --> 00:26:28.660 God is the one who is sustaining the world. 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:31.180 And God is also the one who is sustaining the world. 00:26:31.180 --> 00:26:35.519 You know, many times through the work of people who don't recognize him as the source of that. 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:41.960 And so the idea of this is that we should work humbly because we realize that God is just using us as instruments. 00:26:43.320 --> 00:26:45.000 Just like he's using everybody else in the world. 00:26:45.100 --> 00:26:48.440 And so it also means we can value the work of people who are not believers. 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:53.779 Because it's God who's enabling them to do that, even if they don't recognize that God is. 00:26:53.900 --> 00:26:55.200 Common grace of it. 00:26:55.360 --> 00:26:55.500 Right? 00:26:55.559 --> 00:27:02.539 Even if they don't recognize that God is behind all the wisdom that they have and all the skills that they have, he is. 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:04.820 And so we can work humbly. 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:11.360 You know, Martin Luther talks about that. 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:17.859 He says, God could easily give you grain and fruit without your plowing and planting, but he doesn't want to do so. 00:27:17.959 --> 00:27:22.139 He sort of uses this analogy of parents assigning chores to their children. 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:25.740 We assign chores to our children in our house. 00:27:27.539 --> 00:27:29.019 Well, yeah, we're in transit. 00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:31.659 We're trying to figure out what the best way to do that is now. 00:27:31.719 --> 00:27:34.000 But anyway, we do assign chores to our children. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:41.140 And because we want, now it's not because, some of it is because there's a lot of work to do in managing a household. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:44.579 And it's helpful if they do that for us because we just have limited time and resources. 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:53.660 But some of it is honestly things that, you know, when my children help me make pancakes on Sunday morning, I can make them faster if they don't help. 00:27:54.119 --> 00:27:54.759 But you know what? 00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:55.700 They love to help. 00:27:55.859 --> 00:27:57.200 And I want to teach them to cook. 00:27:57.819 --> 00:27:59.319 And they enjoy making pancakes. 00:27:59.319 --> 00:28:01.400 This is our Sunday morning tradition before we come to church. 00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:02.380 We always make pancakes. 00:28:02.380 --> 00:28:07.700 And so I involve them in that, usually, unless we're running really late. 00:28:09.140 --> 00:28:12.080 Or unless they're, like, totally fighting with each other, which sometimes happens. 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:14.860 But, right, why do I involve them? 00:28:14.980 --> 00:28:20.200 It's so that they can come to share in something that I enjoy and I know how to do. 00:28:20.660 --> 00:28:22.940 And I want them to grow up to enjoy and know how to do. 00:28:23.620 --> 00:28:23.800 Right? 00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:30.480 And Luther says that's basically what it's, you know, it's a little picture of what it's like with God and everything that we do. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:36.259 God could accomplish everything that he has us work on in this world by himself without our help. 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:39.120 But he chooses not to do it that way. 00:28:39.220 --> 00:28:48.559 He chooses to involve us because he wants us to grow up and come to share in the things that he loves and come to enjoy the things that he enjoys and come to sort of be a worker like him. 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:49.380 Right? 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:50.360 To reflect his image. 00:28:50.359 --> 00:28:55.719 So that's sort of Luther's idea in that quote. 00:28:56.359 --> 00:28:56.559 All right. 00:28:56.639 --> 00:29:04.719 Second, third, our overarching loyalty to Christ as Lord lead us to work honestly, upholding high moral and ethical standards. 00:29:05.299 --> 00:29:17.179 And there are other Christian traditions that have sort of emphasized Christians need to work in a moral and ethical way and sort of draw lines where we need to draw lines and sort of live according to, in a way that reflects God's holiness. 00:29:17.180 --> 00:29:22.640 Fourth, resting in Christ's finished work on our behalf leads us to work and rest freely. 00:29:24.019 --> 00:29:34.320 Not compulsively, not trying to justify ourselves by our work, but we've been liberated from the idolatry of achievement because Christ is our identity and Christ is our hope. 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:41.820 So those are four aspects of what it looks like to work sort of along the lines of God's redemption. 00:29:42.660 --> 00:29:45.000 Let's talk a little bit about that. 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:50.880 I'd love to hear some of your responses to this so far. 00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:54.660 Tyler. 00:29:55.380 --> 00:30:04.359 It seems that, like, we were just talking about, like, every single thing that we do, we do to the glory of God, no matter how mundane the world thinks it is. 00:30:04.359 --> 00:30:10.119 You know, you dig a ditch for the glory of God, no matter how mundane the world thinks it is. 00:30:11.339 --> 00:30:15.979 But it seems that, you know, a lot of us talk about this, like, this notion of calling, what you're calling. 00:30:16.439 --> 00:30:17.799 I don't think this is my calling. 00:30:19.299 --> 00:30:22.539 And another way to say that is, like, I still enjoy doing this. 00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:24.919 I think that's kind of what we mean by that. 00:30:25.099 --> 00:30:25.240 Yeah. 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:33.200 But what's your thoughts on, like, the idea of, like, Christians having a calling in terms of our vocation? 00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:34.539 Yes. 00:30:35.500 --> 00:30:38.079 So part of that, I'll get to that in the next section. 00:30:39.180 --> 00:30:41.380 But along those lines, I read a quote this week. 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:42.279 I was reading another book. 00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:50.019 And it was posted in the kitchen in a sort of intentional Christian community house. 00:30:50.519 --> 00:30:52.220 And it says, everyone wants to change the world. 00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:53.480 Nobody wants to do the dishes. 00:30:53.779 --> 00:30:53.980 Yeah. 00:30:56.180 --> 00:31:08.960 And, right, it was a group of people who had sort of high ideals and, you know, move into a neighborhood and be the, you know, be the presence of Christ here and see the gospel go forward and work for justice and all these things. 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:15.740 And it's a reminder, like, you've got to do the mundane things if you want to, if you care about those high ideals. 00:31:15.840 --> 00:31:17.620 Well, you actually have to do the things that work that out. 00:31:17.700 --> 00:31:17.799 Yeah. 00:31:18.120 --> 00:31:26.840 And that gets back to sort of, you know, Luther talking about, you know, all, there's not a hierarchy of, you know, scorecard of what work is more important, like you were talking about digging ditches. 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:35.059 Michael Horton has a great book called Ordinary, which gets to the washing the dishes, you know, too, that everyone's searching for. 00:31:35.140 --> 00:31:36.360 Like, I think that's your question. 00:31:36.359 --> 00:31:39.619 You know, as Christians, do we all have to do Christian work? 00:31:40.179 --> 00:31:42.519 And Keller really gets into that later in the book. 00:31:42.740 --> 00:31:49.399 Tim Keller talked in one of his sermons at Redeemer talked about calling, and he explained it this way. 00:31:49.500 --> 00:32:04.679 He says, if your wife says you should go to law school, and all your friends tell you you should go to law school, and you have the time to study for law school, and you've got the money to go to law school, and everything around you says go to law school, 00:32:04.680 --> 00:32:06.460 then it's time to go to law school. 00:32:08.100 --> 00:32:09.920 It's not a voice coming from heaven. 00:32:10.460 --> 00:32:11.980 It's all these things put together. 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:13.100 Yeah. 00:32:13.259 --> 00:32:13.700 Yeah. 00:32:13.700 --> 00:32:13.799 Yeah. 00:32:14.580 --> 00:32:15.519 Yeah, that's right. 00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:18.740 Others, thoughts? 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:20.620 A couple other thoughts or comments? 00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:20.860 Linda. 00:32:20.859 --> 00:32:21.859 Yeah. 00:32:21.859 --> 00:32:29.500 There's a very wise Bible study leader that once said, and a Bible study that really stuck out to me, and was really freeing to me. 00:32:30.099 --> 00:32:34.500 He said, you know, your biggest mission in life is to love God and to love others. 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:37.139 And does this job offer allowing you to do that? 00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:39.859 Does this path in life do that? 00:32:39.939 --> 00:32:44.000 Or does it cause you to neglect your life, neglect your kids? 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:46.579 You make it so complicated. 00:32:46.939 --> 00:32:48.279 I make things so complicated. 00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:51.779 And that was really freeing to me, that I can do that, love God and love others. 00:32:52.160 --> 00:32:52.339 Yeah. 00:32:52.359 --> 00:32:54.339 And see my work as a way to do that. 00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:55.019 Right. 00:32:55.639 --> 00:32:56.000 Right. 00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:58.200 Hopefully I didn't miss coding. 00:33:01.059 --> 00:33:01.460 Amen. 00:33:01.619 --> 00:33:02.000 That's right. 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:02.599 That's right. 00:33:04.700 --> 00:33:07.180 Well, let me jump on, since we're on this topic. 00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:14.220 So the rest of this, I've summarized and adapted a slightly longer article from, there's a website called Theology of Work, 00:33:14.619 --> 00:33:16.299 which has a lot of good resources on there. 00:33:16.299 --> 00:33:22.519 But this is from an article, sort of an overview article, about this idea of calling. 00:33:22.619 --> 00:33:23.159 Is there a calling? 00:33:23.339 --> 00:33:25.859 Well, the Bible says our primary calling is to belong to Christ. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:28.899 Romans 1, 6, you are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:30.819 That's what Paul says to the church in Rome. 00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:32.720 That's what Paul says to every Christian. 00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:36.079 And our second calling is to become like Christ. 00:33:36.819 --> 00:33:40.079 We are predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. 00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:41.779 Romans 8, 29. 00:33:41.779 --> 00:33:44.599 So that's our primary calling. 00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:45.319 Belong to Christ. 00:33:45.399 --> 00:33:46.119 Become like Christ. 00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:49.180 The particular kind of work we're engaged in is a secondary thing. 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:51.480 It's not unimportant, but it is secondary. 00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:57.299 I'd also say how we work is probably even more important to God than what kind of work we do. 00:33:59.019 --> 00:34:02.880 Because again, you can do all kinds of things in a way that loves God and loves your neighbor. 00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:07.019 Now there might be, there are some jobs that Christians should not do, right? 00:34:07.059 --> 00:34:10.539 Because by doing them, you are directly contradicting one of God's commands. 00:34:11.259 --> 00:34:16.039 So there are some things that Christians need to stay away from and say, well, no, I can't do that because that's sin. 00:34:16.219 --> 00:34:19.400 That's like directly sinning against one of God's basic commands. 00:34:22.139 --> 00:34:26.219 But apart from that, how we work is more likely, generally more important. 00:34:26.219 --> 00:34:32.799 And the reality is most people in the history of the world have had little or no ability to choose their job, right? 00:34:33.739 --> 00:34:38.219 And many people today, probably even most people in the world today, don't have a lot of say. 00:34:38.299 --> 00:34:43.379 And even people who have a lot of say in what they do often end up in situations where they're like, ah, I'm doing this. 00:34:43.579 --> 00:34:45.000 And it's not really what I want to do. 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:47.880 And I thought it's what I wanted to do. 00:34:48.199 --> 00:34:50.099 But it's so frustrating. 00:34:50.340 --> 00:34:54.219 Or I'm working in the field I want to work in, but I have a terrible boss, right? 00:34:54.320 --> 00:34:56.900 There's all those kinds of things. 00:34:58.119 --> 00:34:58.400 All right. 00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:00.980 So having said all that, just sort of in terms of wisdom, 00:35:01.179 --> 00:35:04.739 if you're in a position to make choices about what kind of job or profession you pursue, 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:06.619 consider three things. 00:35:06.699 --> 00:35:07.880 Because those are the needs of the world. 00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:14.599 Now that starts with how do I take care of myself and my family if I have a family, okay? 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:17.300 So that's an important concern. 00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:22.400 You don't want to be sort of going out and doing something and then, you know, 00:35:22.739 --> 00:35:27.440 defaulting on your mortgage and ending up sort of in a disaster 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:31.840 because you weren't being diligent to do what you could, right? 00:35:31.880 --> 00:35:34.920 You want to do what you can, sort of start there. 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:39.599 But the Bible also talks about sharing with the vulnerable, caring for the poor, being generous. 00:35:41.860 --> 00:35:42.940 That's one of the needs of the world. 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:43.980 And serving the common good. 00:35:43.980 --> 00:35:45.079 Jeremiah 29 says, 00:35:45.300 --> 00:35:47.420 Seek the peace of the city where the Lord has put you. 00:35:49.579 --> 00:35:53.360 So think about what are needs in the world that you see, right? 00:35:53.380 --> 00:35:55.400 Whether they're close to home or further away from home, 00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:59.480 what is something that I can do that actually meets a genuine need in the world? 00:36:01.079 --> 00:36:02.880 Second, consider your skills and gifts. 00:36:04.039 --> 00:36:08.820 The Bible talks about, in the New Testament, it talks about spiritual gifts. 00:36:08.820 --> 00:36:12.480 But in general, God gives people skills and gifts for accomplishing the work he wants them to do. 00:36:13.200 --> 00:36:22.240 But again, note, in many cases, God sort of waits to give you gifts until you're in a position where you need them. 00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:29.059 So, you know, again, you don't want to say, well, I'm just not skilled and gifted to do that. 00:36:29.699 --> 00:36:31.359 You have to discern that, right? 00:36:31.439 --> 00:36:34.139 Some of the times the way you learn, am I skilled and gifted to do something is, 00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:35.399 I see this as a need. 00:36:35.500 --> 00:36:36.359 I'm going to try to help. 00:36:36.899 --> 00:36:40.519 And maybe I'll realize that this is a good fit for me. 00:36:40.679 --> 00:36:42.439 And maybe I'll realize it's not a good fit for me. 00:36:42.440 --> 00:36:43.940 And then I'll just go another way. 00:36:44.659 --> 00:36:46.519 But at least I've tried, right? 00:36:49.500 --> 00:36:51.000 Third, your truest desires. 00:36:51.679 --> 00:36:52.659 These are important. 00:36:53.059 --> 00:36:54.400 Psalm 37, take delight in the Lord. 00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:55.820 He'll give you the desires of your heart. 00:36:57.179 --> 00:36:58.559 Frederick Buechner has this quote, 00:36:58.639 --> 00:37:02.179 the place God calls you is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet. 00:37:03.200 --> 00:37:05.280 But again, sort of like your skills and gifts, 00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:08.700 getting in touch with our truest desires is not always as easy as it seems. 00:37:08.699 --> 00:37:16.879 Our motive, because again, our motivations can get very confused by sin and the brokenness of the world. 00:37:17.239 --> 00:37:23.000 So the work that would fulfill your true desire might seem very undesirable on the surface of it. 00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:26.000 And it might require great sacrifice at many points. 00:37:27.419 --> 00:37:30.980 And so I think it's really as we grow closer, excuse me, as we grow closer to Christ, 00:37:31.559 --> 00:37:34.879 he enables us to get to know ourselves better in these ways. 00:37:34.879 --> 00:37:38.059 He enables us to get to sort of know our skills and gifts better, 00:37:38.059 --> 00:37:40.539 and really be in touch with our truest desires. 00:37:41.960 --> 00:37:45.219 But I think we also need to be humble and say, 00:37:45.299 --> 00:37:48.179 you know what, I might actually not be totally in touch with these things. 00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:50.460 Or I might see them at least, 00:37:51.099 --> 00:37:53.619 obviously I don't see them as clearly as God sees them. 00:37:55.019 --> 00:37:57.840 So again, these are sort of things to consider, 00:37:58.179 --> 00:37:59.779 but to sort of hold in wisdom. 00:37:59.780 --> 00:38:04.019 And the other thing, the other point that I would make is, 00:38:04.100 --> 00:38:06.720 is when you're making a discernment decision, 00:38:07.100 --> 00:38:09.260 you know, Raul's example about law school is a good one. 00:38:09.940 --> 00:38:12.760 What do people around you who know you, 00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:16.600 and who are wise and mature, 00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:20.480 and who love the Lord, 00:38:20.699 --> 00:38:21.779 like what are they saying? 00:38:23.420 --> 00:38:23.759 You know, 00:38:24.759 --> 00:38:28.719 or even people who may not believe in God, 00:38:28.779 --> 00:38:30.420 but maybe they're, you know, your parents or something, 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:31.400 so they might know you well. 00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:33.639 In some ways, you know, 00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:36.000 they might have some wisdom and insight as well. 00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:40.659 So, yes, God, 00:38:40.800 --> 00:38:41.659 even in the Bible, 00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:43.559 it's very rare that God specifically, 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:45.500 sort of directly, unmistakably, 00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:46.500 tells somebody, 00:38:46.739 --> 00:38:48.440 this is the work you need to do. 00:38:49.659 --> 00:38:50.780 That happens occasionally. 00:38:51.219 --> 00:38:53.079 It's quite rare in the Bible. 00:38:54.360 --> 00:38:55.119 Like to Moses. 00:38:55.139 --> 00:38:55.780 So we shouldn't, 00:38:56.079 --> 00:38:57.119 right, to Moses, right, 00:38:57.199 --> 00:38:57.820 burning bush, right. 00:38:57.980 --> 00:38:59.539 So we shouldn't expect or insist 00:38:59.539 --> 00:39:02.320 that God direct us in that way. 00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:03.940 We're created and commanded to work. 00:39:04.699 --> 00:39:05.900 Rather, we should pray that God 00:39:05.900 --> 00:39:06.720 refines our priorities, 00:39:06.840 --> 00:39:08.500 give us the courage to make a wise decision 00:39:08.500 --> 00:39:10.840 while trusting his care for us. 00:39:12.519 --> 00:39:14.240 Yeah, engage in discussions about God's leading 00:39:14.240 --> 00:39:15.280 with those in the Christian community 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:16.000 who know you well. 00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:17.639 And remember, 00:39:17.740 --> 00:39:19.099 you have freedom to make mistakes 00:39:19.099 --> 00:39:20.019 and take risks 00:39:20.019 --> 00:39:21.139 and even to fail. 00:39:22.360 --> 00:39:22.579 Right? 00:39:22.660 --> 00:39:24.760 Sometimes we can get so perfectionist 00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:26.860 and so anxious 00:39:26.860 --> 00:39:29.180 about wanting to find the best thing 00:39:29.180 --> 00:39:31.059 that we get paralyzed 00:39:31.059 --> 00:39:31.900 and do nothing. 00:39:32.820 --> 00:39:33.840 Or we do something 00:39:33.840 --> 00:39:34.780 and then we're just like 00:39:34.780 --> 00:39:35.860 constantly worried about it. 00:39:35.900 --> 00:39:37.000 That it might be the wrong thing. 00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:37.880 And you know what? 00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:40.160 Some of us just need to remind ourselves 00:39:40.160 --> 00:39:41.200 it's okay. 00:39:41.420 --> 00:39:42.280 Like, chill out. 00:39:42.380 --> 00:39:42.680 Exactly. 00:39:43.800 --> 00:39:44.480 You know, God, 00:39:44.760 --> 00:39:44.940 it's, 00:39:45.500 --> 00:39:46.539 what's the worst thing that happens? 00:39:46.680 --> 00:39:47.740 Well, you make a mistake 00:39:47.740 --> 00:39:49.300 and you learn from it. 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:50.599 And that's alright. 00:39:50.760 --> 00:39:51.340 Because you know what? 00:39:51.740 --> 00:39:52.619 When you stand before God 00:39:52.619 --> 00:39:53.380 at the final judgment, 00:39:53.720 --> 00:39:55.360 whether or not you get into heaven 00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:56.220 does not depend on 00:39:56.220 --> 00:39:56.940 whether you fulfilled 00:39:56.940 --> 00:39:58.200 your God-given potential in life. 00:39:59.139 --> 00:40:00.059 It doesn't depend on 00:40:00.059 --> 00:40:01.119 if you chose the right job. 00:40:02.119 --> 00:40:02.420 Right? 00:40:04.339 --> 00:40:06.699 Your salvation depends on Christ 00:40:06.699 --> 00:40:08.579 and your primary calling again 00:40:08.579 --> 00:40:09.859 is to belong to Christ 00:40:09.859 --> 00:40:10.900 and become more like Christ 00:40:10.900 --> 00:40:11.739 and so you can be 00:40:11.739 --> 00:40:12.900 becoming like Christ. 00:40:13.019 --> 00:40:14.299 Maybe it's just becoming more humble 00:40:14.299 --> 00:40:15.199 through the process of 00:40:15.199 --> 00:40:16.539 trying something out 00:40:16.539 --> 00:40:17.339 and failing 00:40:17.339 --> 00:40:19.920 and be able to say, 00:40:20.059 --> 00:40:20.699 you know what? 00:40:21.059 --> 00:40:21.159 I, 00:40:21.159 --> 00:40:21.380 I, 00:40:21.380 --> 00:40:21.880 I, 00:40:21.880 --> 00:40:22.380 alright, 00:40:22.500 --> 00:40:23.599 I learned something through this. 00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:24.819 I say, 00:40:24.940 --> 00:40:25.739 it's just like 00:40:25.739 --> 00:40:27.299 I say when something like that, 00:40:27.420 --> 00:40:28.699 you just miss the mark 00:40:28.699 --> 00:40:29.739 and you move on. 00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:30.360 Mm-hmm. 00:40:30.679 --> 00:40:30.880 Yep. 00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:31.480 You miss the mark. 00:40:31.539 --> 00:40:32.039 That's what I say 00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:33.299 when things happen like that 00:40:33.299 --> 00:40:34.400 and I just move on. 00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:34.759 Yeah. 00:40:35.179 --> 00:40:35.420 Yep, 00:40:35.460 --> 00:40:35.880 you miss the mark 00:40:35.880 --> 00:40:36.159 and move on. 00:40:36.199 --> 00:40:36.339 Right. 00:40:36.420 --> 00:40:37.299 And you don't just sort of 00:40:37.299 --> 00:40:38.059 sit down there. 00:40:38.119 --> 00:40:39.719 You don't sit down there 00:40:39.719 --> 00:40:40.960 and sort of have a pity party 00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:41.839 and then stay there 00:40:41.839 --> 00:40:42.679 for the rest of your life 00:40:42.679 --> 00:40:43.819 just thinking about 00:40:43.819 --> 00:40:44.380 all the things 00:40:44.380 --> 00:40:45.099 that you failed about. 00:40:45.259 --> 00:40:45.339 Right? 00:40:45.420 --> 00:40:45.599 No, 00:40:45.779 --> 00:40:45.940 no, 00:40:46.019 --> 00:40:47.019 you just get up 00:40:47.019 --> 00:40:47.579 and move on 00:40:47.579 --> 00:40:48.739 and fix, 00:40:49.059 --> 00:40:49.339 you know, 00:40:49.400 --> 00:40:50.319 fix your eyes on the Lord 00:40:50.319 --> 00:40:52.960 and take the next step. 00:40:53.259 --> 00:40:53.440 Right? 00:40:53.599 --> 00:40:54.000 Exactly. 00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:55.319 All right. 00:40:55.440 --> 00:40:56.679 One or two last comments 00:40:56.679 --> 00:40:57.799 and then we need to... 00:40:57.799 --> 00:40:58.179 Rick? 00:40:59.119 --> 00:41:00.699 I've had a number of 00:41:00.699 --> 00:41:02.559 you might go dead ends 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:04.219 in my career life 00:41:04.219 --> 00:41:06.039 but as I look back 00:41:06.039 --> 00:41:07.099 on every one of the dead ends 00:41:07.099 --> 00:41:08.719 I realize that God taught me 00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:10.440 a really important lesson 00:41:10.440 --> 00:41:12.400 that I would never learn 00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:14.639 if I didn't think 00:41:14.639 --> 00:41:15.639 that I was called 00:41:15.639 --> 00:41:16.900 to make it work. 00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:18.719 So we tend to think 00:41:18.719 --> 00:41:19.900 that our career path 00:41:19.900 --> 00:41:21.179 has to be this linear one 00:41:21.179 --> 00:41:22.480 ever upwards, 00:41:22.779 --> 00:41:23.059 you know, 00:41:23.059 --> 00:41:24.139 I'm going to be a lawyer 00:41:24.139 --> 00:41:25.099 and then I'm going to 00:41:25.099 --> 00:41:26.239 be that partner 00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:27.139 and then I'm going to 00:41:27.139 --> 00:41:28.299 be a Supreme Court lawyer 00:41:28.299 --> 00:41:28.980 and I'm going to 00:41:28.980 --> 00:41:30.299 be justice or whatever 00:41:30.299 --> 00:41:31.900 and so we need to 00:41:31.900 --> 00:41:32.440 deal with calls 00:41:32.440 --> 00:41:33.119 in that direction 00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:34.440 and we start in the law school 00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:35.179 and end up us 00:41:35.179 --> 00:41:37.259 and we end up being, 00:41:37.259 --> 00:41:38.699 you know, 00:41:38.779 --> 00:41:41.779 a carpet 00:41:41.779 --> 00:41:43.920 and as a result 00:41:43.920 --> 00:41:45.980 of having gone to law school 00:41:45.980 --> 00:41:48.019 for X months, 00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:50.519 it turns out 00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:51.960 that God can use us 00:41:51.960 --> 00:41:53.480 as we're a carpenter 00:41:53.480 --> 00:41:55.039 perhaps sharing the gospel 00:41:55.039 --> 00:41:56.079 with other people. 00:41:56.199 --> 00:41:56.519 So who knows 00:41:56.519 --> 00:41:57.280 how it's going to be. 00:41:57.699 --> 00:41:58.860 God's plan is always 00:41:58.860 --> 00:41:59.900 so much more, 00:42:00.139 --> 00:42:00.880 as I look back 00:42:00.880 --> 00:42:01.380 on the post, 00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:06.360 I see this sense of humor 00:42:06.360 --> 00:42:10.179 and sense of creative work 00:42:10.179 --> 00:42:11.519 and the way he's led me 00:42:11.519 --> 00:42:13.139 specifically in the things 00:42:13.139 --> 00:42:14.659 that some of them 00:42:14.659 --> 00:42:15.519 have linear career paths 00:42:15.519 --> 00:42:16.039 would look like. 00:42:16.379 --> 00:42:17.420 They just never are. 00:42:18.579 --> 00:42:19.019 Yeah. 00:42:20.599 --> 00:42:21.000 Clay. 00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:23.579 I kind of like 00:42:23.579 --> 00:42:24.659 washing dishes 00:42:24.659 --> 00:42:26.599 and don't really mind 00:42:26.599 --> 00:42:27.460 so I just wonder 00:42:27.460 --> 00:42:28.699 what kind of 00:42:28.699 --> 00:42:29.980 Sunday morning pancakes 00:42:29.980 --> 00:42:30.379 would be. 00:42:30.839 --> 00:42:32.219 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:42:37.500 --> 00:42:38.119 All right. 00:42:38.219 --> 00:42:39.119 Well, let's, 00:42:39.239 --> 00:42:39.759 that's a good, 00:42:39.879 --> 00:42:40.679 that's a good way to end. 00:42:41.440 --> 00:42:42.400 It's 9.50 00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:43.820 so I'm going to close this 00:42:43.820 --> 00:42:45.559 on trying to end 00:42:45.559 --> 00:42:46.260 so we have time 00:42:46.260 --> 00:42:46.820 to get upstairs 00:42:46.820 --> 00:42:47.900 and greet each other. 00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:48.940 All right, let's pray. 00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:50.200 Lord, thank you 00:42:50.200 --> 00:42:51.720 for creating us. 00:42:52.059 --> 00:42:52.720 Thank you. 00:42:54.400 --> 00:42:55.360 Lord, you're a great 00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:56.700 and marvelous God 00:42:56.700 --> 00:42:58.340 as we look at your works 00:42:58.340 --> 00:42:59.480 in creation 00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:00.240 and redemption 00:43:00.240 --> 00:43:01.900 and Lord, 00:43:01.940 --> 00:43:02.760 we can only imagine 00:43:02.760 --> 00:43:04.940 how we will see your works 00:43:04.940 --> 00:43:05.800 one day 00:43:05.800 --> 00:43:06.900 perfected in glory. 00:43:07.880 --> 00:43:09.079 You are a great 00:43:09.079 --> 00:43:09.559 and marvelous 00:43:09.559 --> 00:43:10.760 and wise God. 00:43:10.880 --> 00:43:11.440 We thank you 00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:12.000 for the part 00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:12.780 that you give us 00:43:12.780 --> 00:43:14.280 to participate 00:43:14.280 --> 00:43:15.840 in a small part 00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:16.900 of the work 00:43:16.900 --> 00:43:18.199 that you are doing 00:43:18.199 --> 00:43:19.420 that you sustain us 00:43:19.420 --> 00:43:21.000 and strengthen us to do. 00:43:21.699 --> 00:43:22.579 Lord, we thank you 00:43:22.579 --> 00:43:24.579 for your mercy 00:43:24.579 --> 00:43:26.840 in the frustrations 00:43:26.840 --> 00:43:29.119 that you send our way 00:43:29.119 --> 00:43:31.300 or providentially 00:43:31.300 --> 00:43:33.380 use in our lives 00:43:33.380 --> 00:43:34.480 to humble us 00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:36.539 and to ultimately 00:43:36.539 --> 00:43:38.219 to turn us 00:43:38.219 --> 00:43:39.339 to find joy 00:43:39.339 --> 00:43:40.179 and rest in you 00:43:40.179 --> 00:43:41.059 alone 00:43:41.059 --> 00:43:42.099 as our Savior. 00:43:43.459 --> 00:43:44.339 We pray that you 00:43:44.339 --> 00:43:45.659 would continue 00:43:45.659 --> 00:43:47.899 to work out 00:43:47.899 --> 00:43:48.599 your good purposes 00:43:48.599 --> 00:43:49.339 in our lives. 00:43:50.379 --> 00:43:50.859 Equip us 00:43:50.859 --> 00:43:52.219 for what you have 00:43:52.219 --> 00:43:52.919 called us to do. 00:43:53.919 --> 00:43:54.879 Give us courage. 00:43:56.239 --> 00:43:56.939 Help us grow 00:43:56.939 --> 00:43:57.379 in humility. 00:43:57.539 --> 00:43:57.919 Help us grow 00:43:57.919 --> 00:43:58.899 in understanding ourselves, 00:43:59.000 --> 00:43:59.679 even understanding 00:43:59.679 --> 00:44:00.119 our gifts 00:44:00.119 --> 00:44:00.859 and our desires. 00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:03.519 Help us to be able 00:44:03.519 --> 00:44:04.179 to see those 00:44:04.179 --> 00:44:05.339 more clearly 00:44:05.339 --> 00:44:06.159 as we look, 00:44:06.619 --> 00:44:07.380 as we see you 00:44:07.380 --> 00:44:07.880 more clearly 00:44:07.880 --> 00:44:09.420 and to be able 00:44:09.420 --> 00:44:11.839 to make wise decisions 00:44:11.839 --> 00:44:12.880 when we have 00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:13.980 decisions that we need 00:44:13.980 --> 00:44:14.380 to make 00:44:14.380 --> 00:44:17.079 in light of those. 00:44:17.579 --> 00:44:18.420 Help us see the needs 00:44:18.420 --> 00:44:18.739 of the world 00:44:18.739 --> 00:44:19.599 more clearly as well. 00:44:19.699 --> 00:44:20.359 Sometimes we blind 00:44:20.359 --> 00:44:21.219 ourselves to those 00:44:21.219 --> 00:44:25.000 and help us 00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:26.480 to have courage 00:44:26.480 --> 00:44:27.359 to seek to meet them 00:44:27.359 --> 00:44:28.279 as you enable us. 00:44:29.439 --> 00:44:30.379 Thank you for this time. 00:44:30.459 --> 00:44:31.159 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:44:31.339 --> 00:44:31.519 Amen.