How Should I Work?

Let's get into the Bible and as Neil mentioned, let's look at 1 Peter chapter 2.

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

That clock is at three minutes past four, which is going to be really confusing.

So I'm going to look at that one at seven o'clock and not speak for the next three and a half hours.

And I promise you we'll just be half an hour and we'll be finished at half past seven.

So 1 Peter chapter 2, I'm going to read from verse 9 down to verse 25.

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

Let's look at that together if you have a Bible or you can have it on your phone or whatever.

1 Peter 2, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession.

That you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul.

Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong,

they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority,

whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil.

Live as God's slaves.

Show proper respect to everyone.

Love the family of believers.

Fear God.

Honor the emperor.

Slaves in reverent fear of God, submit yourselves to your masters,

not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.

But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it?

But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.

He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate.

When he suffered, he made no threats.

Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed.

For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

It's a wonderful passage and I want to make clear at the outset I'm not going to try and speak right through all of it.

It's a passage I'd invite you to reflect on in your own readings.

So I'm looking at this passage and thinking about the subject tonight, how should we work?

And I want to bring to you two negatives and two positives from this passage.

But before doing so, as I have looked at this, there's one little word that appears in verse 11 and also in verse 25 that's repeated that I think is quite relevant.

And I need to credit my home group for spotting this on Monday because they were very generous and we spoke about this passage there.

And verse 11 says this,

Abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul.

And verse 25 says this,

Two references to the soul.

Firstly, a reference to

the things

that wage war

against our soul.

And then at the very end, this beautiful reference to Jesus as the shepherd and overseer or in some other verses, the shepherd and guardian of our souls.

And I suppose I just want to make the point, I've been challenged about the point about as we work, we need to watch our souls.

I wonder if we maybe don't hear as much as we might about the soul nowadays or necessarily think as much about it.

But even those two verses convey a sense of the things that would seek to destroy our souls.

Maybe things that might be described as soulless or things that are trying to kill our souls.

And I suppose I look around at work and I see whether it's greed,

whether it's pride,

whether it's unhelpful

ambition and competition,

whether it's the relentless pressure of work at times.

And I wonder if these are the things that can wage war against our souls,

our inmost beings,

our being the people that God really created us to be.

And I look at that and I then come to this great encouragement

as we look at those final verses about who Jesus is and what he's done for us,

about how we were going astray.

But I just trust this will define us all as Christians,

people who have returned to the shepherd and guardian of our souls,

people whom we need to constantly turn to for help,

people whom we need to absolutely rely on as the shepherd and guardian of our souls.

So whatever you're going to do with what I have to say and my thoughts on work,

can I encourage us all to be people who run to Jesus,

people who run to him,

where if we wander,

we are people who return to him as the one who is our healer,

our shepherd,

our protector,

our guardian.

Let me then take us to the first negative.

I want to suggest,

first of all,

that whatever work might be for us,

whatever area of work you might be in,

whether that's in business,

whether it's in the home,

whether you have now retired,

whether you're a student at school or college,

or whatever,

or university and looking to a life of work,

whether you're out of work and seeking to find employment.

The first negative that I think comes over really clearly and importantly from this passage about work is,

we must not be defined by our work.

Dare I say that might even include those who are the pastors and the teachers.

They should not be defined by what they do.

Because I look at verses,

I look at verse nine,

and I see there the definition of who we are.

A chosen people,

a royal priesthood,

a holy nation,

God's special possession.

Verse 10,

once not a people,

but now the people of God.

Once not having received mercy,

but now having received mercy.

And the challenge to me from that

is that my identity

must not be in the job that I do.

My identity must not be

as primarily

a civil servant in

the Scottish government.

But my identity is primarily in

who I am in Jesus Christ.

God's special possession.

It was my mother's comment to me

that has stuck in my head

as she at times

perhaps worried about some of the choices

that we might be making,

that her children might be making.

And her little phrase was this,

always remember

whose you are

and whom you serve.

Have some of you used that as well?

Always remember

whose you are

and whom you serve.

Incredibly simple,

but incredibly powerful and true

as we look at this.

I wonder if, like me,

you've been asked

hundreds of times

as one of those early questions

when somebody's trying to get to know you.

And what do you do?

Such an easy question to ask, isn't it?

The risk is that we start to

box one other in

in terms of the answer to that question,

what do you do?

And it's an interesting question

and it's natural

that we want to find out more

about the things that we all do

and we're all involved

in so many different,

interesting aspects of work.

But let's not be defined

by what we do,

but defined by who we are,

who we are in Jesus Christ,

God's special possession.

See, the trouble is,

if we're defined by what we do,

it's so temporary,

it's so fleeting.

For me, the answer has changed

many times,

despite my thinking

that I'm still relatively young.

student,

trainee,

qualified lawyer,

civil servant,

working for one government,

now working for another government.

And if I define myself

by any of these things,

what happens if they're taken away?

What happens when they vanish?

I love my job.

I've been blessed

with interesting work

and I encourage all of you

to use all of your gifts

and talents

for the glory of God

in whatever area of work

he might take you to

and not in any way

to be indifferent

about the work

to which he has called you to

and we'll come on

to look at what good work

is really like.

But don't allow work

to possess you.

I have worked with

quite a number of people

who one day

have great power

and seemingly

incredible amounts

of authority.

and for whatever reason

that vanishes.

A term of office ends.

Controversy strikes.

And the work and the title

is no more.

And what is left?

I've observed some

dealing magnificently with that

and moving on

and finding other things

because I think their job,

their role

didn't define them.

Who they are,

who they were

was much, much more

than that.

I was reading

The Times yesterday

and reading a bit

of an interview

with the actor

Matthew Good

who is appearing

in the next series

of The Crown.

I fear that some of you

might only take the fact

that The Crown

is streaming on Netflix

season two

from the 8th of December.

It's worth renewing

your Netflix subscription

or getting it

for the first time.

Brilliant programme

there in the run-up

to Christmas.

But he,

as a successful actor,

now appearing

in this very,

famous

and, as I say,

excellent drama

said this,

if you tie

all of your hopes

to the net production

of your work

then you're going

to get depressed

because sometimes

you feel like

you're working

really well

and then you watch it

and you go,

I am terrible.

I assure him,

said the interview,

he is excellent

in The Crown.

But it was a

one-off gig.

Series three

will be recast

with older actors.

Just another

little illustration

of, for that guy

as an actor,

if he put all

of his hopes

in that,

then he may well

find,

as he said,

that sometimes

you just watch

it all go.

So,

what does it mean?

I ask,

I ask myself

to both

pursue the things

that we believe

God has given us

to do

but to hold

lightly

to them

at the same time

and to refuse

to allow

ourselves

to be defined

by

those

things.

And I don't

pretend

for a minute

to have all

of that sussed.

Those of you

who know me

will know

that sometimes

the challenges

of work

get in the way

of the other

things that I

would like to be

and should be

doing.

And my fellow

elders were

incredibly gracious

but I will

out myself

for having not

managed to

our elders meeting

this Tuesday

because of

the work

that I was doing.

And that for me

is just

an example

of the sort

of thing

that I have

to grapple

with.

And I know

many of you

will be grappling

with as you

think through

the call

that work

has on your

life and the

demands of

work and the

need at times

to be devoting

lots of time

and energy

to it.

But let's not

allow ourselves

ever to be

defined by it

and rather

to be defined

by who we are

in Christ.

Let's crack on

because as well

as not being

defined by our

work,

my second

negative is

that we should

not be deterred

by challenges

at work.

If you want a

heading to put

over this bit

it would be the

words,

no one said

it would be

easy.

Are some of you

finding work

tough?

Are some of you

already dreading

some of the

challenges that

face you at

work this

week?

Well, I suspect

our lot maybe

wasn't as bad

as the people

who Peter was

writing to

in 1 Peter 2.

Have a look

at verses

18 to 21

where he

writes to

slaves.

And I don't

think for a

minute that

this is a

defence of

slavery,

rather I think

this is him

speaking to

people about

the situation

that they

found themselves

in in this

day and age.

But he was

speaking to

them and he

could have

said to them,

slaves,

nobody said

it would be

easy.

I realise

some of

you have

got incredibly

tough masters.

Some of you

might be

fortunate enough

to have

reasonable and

sympathetic bosses.

But others

of you have

bosses who

are not good

and considerate

but are

harsh.

And indeed

some of you

are being

beaten in

your work.

I sincerely

hope that

isn't applying

to anyone

here today.

but he

urges them

to carry

on,

to persevere

in their

work despite

the suffering

that they

might be

experiencing.

And in

their suffering,

in the

challenges

of work,

to see

beyond the

immediate

challenges

and to

see to

the bigger

picture in

terms of

the work

that God

is doing

in our

lives and

through

our lives.

I love

verse 12

where he

encourages

those slaves

and others

to live

such good

lives among

the pagans

that though

they be

accused of

doing wrong,

so though

they may

face accusation

and hardship

in what

they do,

others will

see their

good deeds

and become

Christians?

No.

Not

necessarily.

Others will

see their

good deeds

and glorify

God on

the day

he visits

us.

It seems

that the

suffering

and perseverance

and faithfulness

of these

individuals to

whom Peter

is writing

here will

be of

huge

lasting

significance

to those

around,

perhaps even

if that

isn't

reaping

any

immediate

consequences

or doesn't

have any

obvious

impact

on those

around

in the

present

day.

I take

that from

verse 12,

they may

see your

good deeds

and glorify

God on

the day

he visits

us.

So they

have to be

encouraged

even when

work is

tough,

even when

the conditions

seem to be

unreasonable,

even when

the whole

thing seems

to be one

massive

struggle.

Not just

because God

is at work

and because

of the

impact that

it may

have around

but because

they have

the most

incredible

example.

And that's

what Peter

goes on

to encourage

them to do.

He said

if you're

suffering,

if your

work is

incredibly

tough,

then look

at the

example of

Jesus Christ

who when

faced with

insults

did not

retaliate,

who when

suffered

made no

threat and

instead

entrusted

himself to

him who

judges

justly.

And we're

back to

the incredible

example that

our Lord

Jesus sets

for us.

and the

person to

whom we

should look

in every

situation.

Let's not

be deterred

by challenges

at work.

Perhaps

sometimes it's

in working

through those

challenges that

we're most

able to

fulfil the

work that

God has

called us

to do.

I've certainly

been thinking

that while I've

been reading

this brilliant

book over

recent weeks.

If you're

still looking

for a

Christmas

present to

buy,

anybody,

then I

highly recommend

this book

called Just

Mercy by

a fairly

young American

guy called

Brian Stevenson.

I heard him

speak on

live stream at

the Global

Leadership Summit

which was

streamed just

down the

road from

Willow Creek

or started

off from

Willow Creek

Church in

America.

Brian Stevenson

is a human

rights lawyer.

He is black

and he has

particularly fought

for some of

the rights of

black people

who have been

incarcerated in

death row in

the States.

Some of the

young people

aged as

young as

11 who

have been

given life

without parole

at times for

offences that

have not led

to anybody

being hurt.

For some of

those with

disabilities who

are in prison

without any

recollection of

their crime.

He writes at

times from a

perspective of

certainly being

rooted in a

Christian faith but

he writes of the

enormous challenges

that he faced

at work.

Facing at times

his own death

threats, bomb

threats, working

right through the

night on case

after case after

case, facing

setback and

defeat time and

again, losing

cases despite the

obvious injustice

that some of his

clients were

experiencing but

keeping going

because he was

convinced that he

was doing the

work that he was

meant to do in

this life,

therefore not

deterred by the

challenges of

work.

And I won't

give too much

away but it's a

brilliant read and

has lots to

encourage us both

about his life and

about what it means

to really be

passionate about the

work that we do

despite the

challenges that it

might bring.

So those are two

negatives.

We shouldn't be

defined by our

work and we

shouldn't be

deterred by the

challenges at work

but two positives

and they are

simply, we'll look

at them together

because I think the

two need to go

together.

How should we

work?

Well the two

positives that are

woven through this

passage is we

should be marked

in our work by

good lives and we

should seek to be

marked in our work

by good works or

good deeds.

So our lives must

be really exemplary to

those round about

us and we should be

recognized for

excellent work.

Is this fair from

the passage?

Run through it with

me and let's just

track this together.

Verse 12, live such

good lives among the

pagans that though

they accuse you of

doing wrong they may

see your good deeds

and glorify God in

the day he visits us.

Verse 13 and 14,

really interesting

couple of verses

about the role of

government and those

in authority and

right at the end we

see that the role of

those in authority are

there to punish those

who do wrong and to

commend those who do

right.

And then verse 15

running right on from

that it is God's will

that by doing good you

should silence the

ignorant talk of

foolish people.

Verse 17, showing

proper respect to

everyone, loving the

family of believers,

fearing God, honoring

the emperor.

And then in verse 20

we read about suffering

for doing good.

If you suffer for doing

good and you endure it,

this is commendable

before God.

So I want us just to

reflect for a few

minutes on what it

looks like to be marked

by good lives and by

good deeds.

and by the difficult

challenge that I think

Jesus and God's word

calls all of us to,

to actually be marked

by both.

And I'd like us to

reflect on perhaps the

challenge of just being

marked by one or

other.

We've all been

surrounded by so many

stories, haven't we,

in recent weeks of

those who have come

to ruin because what

has come out is that

their lives have not

met the standard that

was expected of them.

Whether from the world

of show business or

Hollywood, whether from

politics at Westminster

or closer to home in

Edinburgh.

So many people have been

filling our screens and

newspapers and they've

come a cropper because

of aspects of their

personal lives that

have not been marked by

respect for others.

That have not been

marked by kindness and

graciousness or by the

things that we would

identify as the fruit of

the Spirit.

And in particular as we've

seen this spotlight on

men and on allegations or

indeed many cases of

sexual harassment towards

women and it's something

that I've been very

conscious of in my work

environment as we've been

thinking through these

issues.

It's been wonderful to

reflect and I've been

grateful for one or two

friends who have helped me

in this to reflect on once

again the example of

Jesus in terms of the

life that he lived and the

example that he set in

terms of how he treated

others.

Reflect for just a moment or

two in terms of how our

Lord Jesus treated women.

reflect on him treating and

how he treated the woman

caught in adultery while

others were ready to stone

her as he looked to the

ground and made those words

in the dust and then allowed

her to go as he said where

are your accusers?

I don't condemn you go and

sin no more.

As we reflect on how Jesus

treated the woman at the

well in John 4.

As we reflect on the way in

which Jesus allowed that

group of women to show love

and support to him throughout

his ministry on earth.

As we reflect on the fact

that as far as I can see he

never really had a harsh or

critical word to say to a

woman in the entirety of his

ministry.

Plenty of harsh and critical

words to say to the male

religious leaders of the

day.

But look at how he treated

women and for me what a

challenge.

What a wonderful example as

I think about the workplace

and how our lives should be

exemplary in terms of how we

treat others.

And this of course applies to

all of us here whether male or

female.

And we see it in the passage

where we are encouraged in

verse 17 to show proper

respect to everyone.

And to love the family of

believers and to fear God

and to honour the emperor.

Good lives.

And for those of you setting

out on the path of work I

have to say to you it doesn't

matter how brilliant you are

at the job you do.

It doesn't matter whether you

become the greatest expert

whether in law or engineering

or medicine.

If you treat others badly.

Well first and foremost it's not

honouring God.

It's not following the example of

Jesus Christ.

And it may well be that it also

leads to a situation where

others are not going to want to

work with you or where your

career, your hopes, your dreams

come to a juddering halt.

But we as Christians have such an

example that we can look to as we

seek to work through in every

situation what does it mean for

our lives to be exemplary in this

situation.

So good work without good life

is not satisfactory.

But equally good lives without

being marked by good work is also

unsatisfactory.

Because God has not called us

simply to seek to live in a bit of a

kind of holy huddle and close

ourselves off from the world around

and just ensure that we remain

pure and undefiled by those

round about.

The two have to go absolutely

hand in hand.

And so what does it look like to be

marked by really good work?

And I suppose here the answer is

going to be different for all of us

in different situations.

And in whatever sphere of work we're in

I encourage you to really think

through what does it look like to do

this to the very best of my abilities

relying on the strength that God

gives me and to seek to do it well

in a God glorifying way.

In this I have been tremendously

helped by this book.

I've mentioned it here before.

I will unashamedly mention it again.

It is the best book I have ever read

about work from a Christian

perspective.

It was recommended a number of years

ago by John Gemmel.

It's called What's Best Next?

How the Gospel Transforms the Way You

Get Things Done written by Matt

Perman.

And he speaks a lot about good work.

And I want to just give you one or two

snippets from this book which I have

found incredibly helpful.

There's a little section entitled

Encouragement for You Right Where You Are.

And he says this.

The things we're doing every day

when we're being productive

answering emails, going to meetings,

making supper for the family,

dare I say going to school,

working hard,

are not just things that we're doing.

They are good works.

When you're answering emails,

you aren't just answering emails.

You are doing good works.

When you attend meetings,

you aren't just attending meetings.

You're doing good works.

When you make supper for your family,

you aren't just making supper for your

family.

You're doing good works.

When you put the kids to bed,

you aren't just putting the kids to bed.

You are doing a good work.

The activities of our everyday lives

are not separate from the good works

that God has called us to do.

They are themselves part of

the good works that God created for us

in Christ.

And therefore,

they have great meaning.

I want you to see everything you do,

he says,

in a new light

so that you can become an agent for good

right where you are

to the glory of God.

Don't just try to get things done.

Seek to serve others

to the glory of God

in everything you do.

More than that,

be proactive and enthusiastic

in doing good for others.

Make plans

for the welfare of others

and use all the things you learn

from this book

to make yourself more effective

in carrying out the plans.

There's a lot there.

But fundamentally,

he is saying

that in every situation,

God has given us

countless opportunities

to do good works.

And maybe sometimes

we see that phrase,

good works,

and we're a bit nervous about it.

We're nervous about it

because we're always ready,

rightly,

to be clear

that we cannot become

Christians through good works.

But as this passage

is made clear

solely through what Jesus

has done for us,

but do we then miss out

on the multitude of teaching

that Scripture has for us

about what good work actually,

good work and good works

actually entails

and how important it is

that we who are followers

of Jesus

are people who are marked

day and daily

by good lives

and by good work.

And so in the workplace,

we seek to do what we're doing

with enthusiasm

in a way that helps

and supports

and loves and serves

others,

whether our colleagues

or others whom we are,

whom we have opportunities

to serve and support

in the work we do

or whether it's in the home,

whether it's in our training,

the way in which we go about it.

I find it tremendously encouraging

that that provides us

countless opportunities

to do good works.

I think it's great

that being a Christian

is not marked primarily,

and Matt Perman in this book

talks a lot about this,

it's not marked primarily

by trying to avoid stuff.

We can sometimes be

a little bit like that,

can't we?

Being a Christian is largely

about, you know,

this kind of keeping ourselves

pure and avoiding

all that might defile.

He says,

a life of serving

is a life of joy

and adventure

and excitement,

far more exciting,

in fact,

than a life lived

for yourself,

no matter how many times

you get to travel

all around the world.

So let me finish

by talking about

our downstairs toilet,

thinking about good work.

You see,

our downstairs toilet,

we discovered last year

we had a problem

because it seemed as though,

first of all,

ever so slowly,

slowly, slowly,

there were little drips

of water

coming from the cistern.

But drips of water

have a habit,

first of all,

being ignored

and just giving them

a little wipe

to becoming much more

of a steady stream of water

and then you go away

one day and you come back

and there's water

all over the floor.

Why did that happen

to our downstairs toilet?

Well,

we got the emergency plumber out

and he opened up

the cistern

and within five minutes

was saying,

dear,

oh dear,

oh dear.

and was able to show us

this cheap little fitting

that appeared to have been

put onto one of the pipes

in the toilet.

He said,

that should never have been used

in your toilet.

That cheap little plastic thing

was never going to last.

Here's what should have been used

as he showed us

the metal equivalent,

some sort of metal,

I don't know what it was,

and as he said,

you do know,

the builders realised

that those cheap plastic things

shouldn't have been used.

Yours was one of the first houses

and after 10 or 15

they stopped using them

and they put on

the quality metal things

and all the other houses

that have got the cheap plastic things

have exactly the same problems

whereby basically

their bathrooms start to leak.

Now can I suggest

very practically

that those who decided

to put on the cheap plastic fittings

were not doing good work.

And actually there's something

about good work

which will bless

and help others

which will be to their

long-term benefit

and advantage.

And so I want to encourage you

whether you are a bathroom fitter,

any of you bathroom fitters

here today,

please don't put on

cheap plastic fittings

because they're not going to bless

others in years to come.

It's just going to cause them

countless expense

and difficulty

even if it saves you

a couple of quid

in the process.

Good work is not slack.

It's not shoddy.

It's not like those

plastic fittings

in the bathroom.

With one final quote

from Matt Perman,

he says,

we are to do work

that will truly benefit people

by going the extra mile

rather than just doing

the minimum necessary.

Excellence in our work

is a form of generosity

and love.

while poor quality

is a form of stinginess

and selfishness.

Shoddy work

is not just shoddy work.

It is a failure of love.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

we thank you

that you have

so much to teach us

about every single aspect

of our life.

and we want to just

lay our lives

before you

tonight.

We ask that we

would never be defined

by our work

or what we do,

but that we

all here

would be

knowing what it is

to be your

precious

possession.

and that all

that we do

would simply

be an outpouring

of thankfulness

to you

for who you are

and for all

that you have done.

So help us,

God,

in all that lies

ahead of us

this week.

May we work

well

and work

for your glory.

Amen.