Christ and Work

We are continuing our sermon series on Christ and culture.

! And this morning I have the privilege of talking about work, vocation, job, job.

! Martin Luther once said, a dairymaid can milk cows to the glory of God.

How does that happen? How can we do that?

How can we milk a cow to the glory of God?

How does that apply to us today?

Why do we work?

Why is it important to work?

All questions I hope to answer this morning in our Christ and Culture series this morning, topic of work.

Let's pray together.

Holy, holy, holy are you, O God.

Worthy of all praise this morning, I pray that that would occur.

God, as I stand up here, as I speak, I speak your words, I would make much of you and little of me.

God, that we would all be touched by you this morning.

God, that we would see our calling in our life as nothing elementary or simple or not important.

That we would see it as a calling from you, placed us where we are, to make much of you, to bring glory to you, to worship you alone.

Help us, God, this morning.

Help us to hear.

Help me to speak.

Help us to act as if we did hear a word from you this morning.

As I pray that will occur.

I love you.

We love you because you first loved us.

For your son, Jesus.

In his name I pray.

Amen.

Ephesians 4, verse 28 is our text this morning.

Ephesians 4:28

It's the main text, but we're going to springboard off of it.

We're going to go different directions in the Bible.

So, mark it.

Open up to 428 and we'll just kind of dig through.

Chapter 4, verse 28 reads,

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Now, this verse sets up very similar to the book or the letter to the Ephesians.

In that chapters 1 through 3 define for us who we are in Christ and because of Christ.

It tells us, because of the work of Christ on the cross, because of the work of Christ in our hearts, who we are.

So, we are adopted sons.

We who were dead are now alive.

We are one in Christ.

Chapters 1 through 3.

Chapters 4 through 6 then tell us how we should live in light of who we are in Christ.

So, a higher calling.

A higher way to live.

Well, if we read verse 28, we have the first part of who we are, a thief.

Second part, how we should live then.

A higher calling once again.

My sermon this morning is two parts as well to kind of keep the theme going.

First part, I'm going to talk about stealing, how it applies to us.

Second part, I'm going to talk about work and how that applies to us.

So, the verse starts out by saying, let the thief no longer steal.

Some quick observations, just for all of us to be on the same page here with this verse.

Paul is speaking to Christians.

If you flip back to the beginning of chapter 4, it says,

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord,

Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

He's speaking to Christians.

He's writing to the church in Ephesus.

So, we can't say that this thief is not a believer.

He's speaking to believers.

Second observation, Paul is speaking to Christians who have not yet given up the practice of stealing.

He says, let the thief no longer.

If it was somebody or people who had once stolen and not stolen anymore,

it would say something in past tense, that those who stole.

Third observation really quick.

Thieves are not outside the grace of God.

These are Christians, once again, the church at Ephesus.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 9 through 11, we have a list.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11

It says, or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived.

Neither the sexual immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

That's where a lot of us want to grab that stone that Nathan talked about two weeks ago and throw it and just stop there.

But, verse 11, and such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sacrificed, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Even thieves are not outside the grace of God.

Think about the thief on the cross, Luke 23.

He turns to Jesus and says, remember me.

Jesus says, today you will be with me in paradise.

Fourth observation, real quick.

Salvation changes the heart, but does not automatically change a man's conduct or thinking.

Okay?

We have redemption stories all around us where this has happened.

Where guys have had addictions and the moment they've received Christ, the moment they become a Christian, that addiction is over with.

Drugs, alcohol, those types of things.

And those of redemption stories are to be rejoiced and to be excited about.

But that's not the norm.

That's not an automatic thing.

Coming to faith in Jesus does not end our struggle with sin.

Romans 6, Romans 7 tells us that it is a process.

We need to continually fight that sin.

This process is God perfecting us.

It's God working in us.

In a book called When Sinners Say I Do, which is what we've been studying through with a couple couples for marital counseling.

He gives an illustration of buttoning a shirt.

Now if you start at the top of your shirt and you get one button wrong, what happens?

All the rest of them are all wrong and your shirt's all wonky.

You've got to get the first one right and then you work your way down.

Well, it's the same here.

God is perfecting us.

We've got the first button.

And it's a process.

He is continually buttoning and getting that shirt right on us.

God is working in us.

Perfecting us.

It is a process where we fight against sin.

Turn to Romans real quick.

We'll end with these quick observations here.

Romans chapter 6.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

Just so you don't just have to take my word for it.

Romans chapter 6 verse 12.

Romans 6:12

It says,

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions.

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness.

But present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.

And your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans chapter 12.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2.

Romans 12:1

Satan doesn't automatically end our struggle with it.

So, the verse in Ephesians 4 verse 28 says,

Ephesians 4:28

Let the thief no longer steal.

It is no shock to you when I say that stealing is wrong.

We all agree.

Shake your heads.

Yes.

Stealing is wrong.

here's some things that stealing does.

Stealing seeks to turn over

what Adam was given to do.

And thus, us.

Adam was given to work.

He was commanded to work the garden.

It was a delight to work.

It was a joy.

But because of the fall,

work became toil,

became hard,

became painful.

And as we see in the curse

in Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

things that wore a delight

became, because of the fall, painful.

Women, childbearing, became painful.

Men, work, became toil.

Stealing seeks to turn over

what Adam and we were created to do.

So are there areas in your life

where you avoid work?

Where you avoid what you were given to do?

Where you avoid the curse?

Where there's laziness and slothfulness

in your life?

Are there times where you avoid work

at your job by cheating on your time

or stealing from your employees?

Employers.

I have a temptation every week.

Every week to do just that.

I have an hourly rate.

I work for a friend of mine

and he trusts me and believes me.

And he asks me,

what time do I get off at the end of the day?

And I can very easily say,

I got off at 5 when I left at 4.

I can very easily say,

I got off at 5.30.

The temptation is there for all of us.

The question is,

are you stealing from your employer?

Are you stealing and trying to turn over

what we were created and given to do?

That is, work.

Stealing is also self-worship.

Stealing is putting your needs

above everyone else's.

It is feasting on the labor of others.

It is forcing others to sacrifice,

to serve your own self-interest.

Think about it.

Somebody does the work,

and what do you do?

You steal.

You take.

I'm not calling anybody out.

You as a general term, I promise.

Me as well.

When we worship ourselves,

we are not worshiping Jesus.

Jesus, the one who died,

so that we could have victory

over this very sin

of self-worship and of theft.

So is there an area in your life

where you take advantage of others

by stealing or by avoiding

a particular job even?

Do you worship yourself

instead of the Creator?

Stealing is also not trusting God.

God who promises to provide

for His children.

Remember Ephesians 4, our text.

He is talking to true Christians.

Not trusting God.

You guys remember the Sermon on the Mount

in Matthew 6?

The subtitle will say something like

do not worry, do not be anxious.

Jesus says do not be anxious about tomorrow.

Look at the birds of the air.

Look at the fields.

The fields are dressed better than Solomon ever was.

The flowers are dressed.

The birds are provided for.

Much more does the Father provide for you.

See, God is the provider for His children

and stealing does not trust God.

A person steals because they no longer believe

God is God.

That He is who He says He is.

Stealing puts trust in the thief

and not in the giver.

Not in the Creator.

Think about the thief on the cross again.

At the end of His life.

Moments, seconds even before death.

Where was His trust put?

Where did He trust?

His entire life as a thief was

He trusted in His ability.

He trusted in what He could do

to avoid work.

He was hopeless in this moment at death.

He could not trust in Himself.

His bag of tricks was empty.

The skills that He learned

to avoid work

could not help Him.

And what did He do?

He turned to the Savior.

Are there areas in your life

where you are not trusting God to provide?

Are there areas in your life

where you say,

God, I've got this.

I will steal.

I will take care of this.

Maybe your anxiousness

has overcome you

and forced you to take

what isn't yours.

Do you believe the promises of the Bible?

Do you believe the promises of God?

If so, then why do you steal?

And let's be honest,

I'm not even talking about physical things

for the most part.

We steal the glory of God.

We steal the worship that is due Him.

And we try to worship ourselves.

That's bigger.

That's worse than stealing a pack of gum.

Or a stapler.

Or name it.

At work.

Time.

There are times

where we steal His worship

and His glory.

We try to bring it to us.

Bring it to our attention.

You believe the promises of God.

You believe.

Then why don't you trust?

Why don't you trust?

See, what you don't trust,

you don't worship.

So if you don't trust God,

you will not worship God.

God is our provider.

And stealing is not trusting God.

Last thing about stealing.

Stealing is a rebellion

against the sovereignty of God.

Stealing is a rebellion

against the sovereignty of God.

God provides.

God knows the needs of His children.

And He distributes material things accordingly.

To God is good,

no matter what.

God is good whether you

drive a nice car

or a dumpy car.

God is good.

No matter if you live

on the streets or not,

He is still good.

Stealing robs you

of accepting that truth.

Stealing rebels

against God

and His control.

To eat trust,

faith,

joy,

love,

all of them are robbed

from the life of a thief.

Think about it.

You trust in the Lord.

No.

You trust in yourself.

You have faith in God

and His promises.

No.

You have faith in your abilities

and your skills.

You have joy in the Lord.

No.

You have pain,

sorrow,

anxiousness

from yourself

and your circumstances.

You have love for God.

No.

You have love for self.

God is sovereign.

He is good.

We can trust Him completely.

We don't need to rebel

against this truth.

So,

in our text,

in Ephesians 4,

Ephesians 4:28

verse 28,

it says,

let the thief

no longer steal.

Christians

in the church at Ephesus.

Christians

at the church

at Christ's family church.

Christians

here

at 60 South.

Christians

in Dahlonega.

let the thief

no longer steal.

So,

that's the first part

of our verse.

Let us now

dig in

to our topic.

Work.

The second part

of the verse

applies,

again,

just like the first,

to all of us.

Speaks to all of us.

Whether we are a thief

or not,

and I would argue

that all of us

at one time

or another

are thieves,

have been thieves.

So,

here we go.

Gives us a definition

of a Christian

work ethic,

so to speak.

Verse 28,

let the thief

no longer steal,

but rather

let him labor

doing honest work

with his own hands

so that he may have

something to share

with anyone

in need.

Now,

what I have

is I have five

reasons why

we work.

And,

maybe or maybe not,

it applies,

it fits real well

into our Christ-end culture,

but here's why I put

five reasons

why we work.

Because I believe

that the how

we work,

how we

spend our time

working,

how we work

our tails off,

how we

act at work,

will come out of

the why

we work.

Okay?

So,

first one.

why do we work?

Five reasons

we work.

We've already

talked about it.

Reason one,

we work because

we were created

to work.

It was put in

from the Creator

in Genesis chapter 2

Genesis 2:15

verse 15,

Adam was given

to work.

And it was a pleasure

to do so.

He delighted

in it.

See,

when we work,

when we work,

as the text says

in Ephesians 4,

when we labor

doing honest work,

we bring glory to God.

We'll touch on that

in just a little bit.

See,

it was the curse.

It was the curse

that made work

a burden,

painful.

ESV translates it

toil.

Toil.

Toil.

Now,

I had a curse-filled

day of work

this week.

510 feet of conduit

in trenches

and ditches,

running wire

under the scorching sun.

It was toil.

It was hard.

No matter

how hard it was,

no matter

how hard

and difficult,

I was created

to do

that work.

I was given

that moment

to work

to the glory

of God.

we work

because we were

created

to work.

Secondly,

we work

to provide

for our families.

In 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5,

and I'm going to

highlight verse 8,

but 3 through 8

gives us

a little bit of

guidance here.

Verse 8,

Paul says to Timothy,

if anyone

does not provide

for his relatives

and especially

for members

of his household,

he has denied

his faith

and is worse

than an unbeliever.

Those are

strong words.

If anyone

does not provide

for his relatives

and especially

for members

of his household,

he is denied

the faith

and is worse

than an unbeliever.

If you are

a Christian,

if you are

a child of God

and you do not

provide for your

family,

repent this morning.

God has put you

in the place

where you are

to provide

for your family.

Not to provide

for the pleasures

that you want

to participate in,

not to buy

all the toys

and fun things

that are out there

for you to play with.

I'm going to speak

to the young guys

here for a minute.

Now,

as Nathan did

a couple weeks ago,

opinion alert.

Okay,

here's my opinion,

but I think

it's based

in truth.

Okay?

Young guys,

you may be

paying bills.

You may be

paying a credit card bill,

paying a cell phone bill.

You may be

paying a car payment

or insurance.

But you have

not arrived.

You have not

arrived.

There is another

level to manhood.

There is another

level to

being a man

and that is

providing

for mouths.

That is for

providing

for a family.

There are mouths

to feed.

It's like the

picture of

the mother bird

coming in.

It's got food

hanging out of her beak

and the kids

are all open.

The baby birds,

not kids.

Baby birds are all

open squawking

and the mom

drops the worms

and stuff in the mouth.

Well,

that's you guys.

Men,

that's you.

You are to provide

for your families.

Are you providing

for your family?

Young guys,

do you want

to provide

for your family?

You have been

created

to do it.

You have been

commanded

to do it.

Now,

commercial break,

intermission.

Of course,

there are

disabled

mentally and

physically

people

who cannot

provide.

They cannot

work.

But what is

the heart

of that person?

What is the

heart of that

disabled person?

Do they

desire to

provide?

Do they

try to

provide

spiritually?

Do they

try to

provide for

their family?

Do they

want to?

Is there

a burden

in them

to provide?

Guys,

this is not

a loophole.

It's because

you have a

desire to.

It doesn't

mean you

do.

It's because

I say I'm

a stick.

It doesn't

make me

a stick.

We work

to provide

for our

families.

If anyone

does not

provide for

his relatives

and especially

for members

of his

household,

he has

denied the

faith and

is worse

than an

unbeliever.

Men,

provide for

your families.

Future men,

future

patriarchs of

your family,

provide for

your families.

Thirdly,

so first,

we work,

we were

created to

work.

Second,

we work

to provide

for our

families.

Third,

we work

to be

generous

from our

text in

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:28

chapter 4

verse 28.

Let the

thief no

longer

steal,

but rather

let him

labor,

doing honest

work with

his own

hands,

so that he

may have

something to

share with

anyone in

need.

We work

to be

generous.

Yes,

point two

was we

work to

provide for

our families,

but we also

work to be

generous.

We work

so that we

can give

more,

so that we

have something

to share

with anyone

in need.

Now that's a

paradigm shift.

That's a big

shift in

thinking compared

to what the

world teaches.

Agree?

That's a huge

change in

thought.

Now we have a

paradox here in

this verse.

The beginning of

the verse says,

let the thief

no longer

steal.

Selfish,

self-worship,

self-gratification,

self-provision,

and then at

the end it

says,

work to

share with

anyone in

need.

Selfless,

others-focused,

kingdom-minded,

gospel-centered,

God-exalting.

So, we no

longer think of

ourselves, we

think of others

and we provide

for them.

That's the

idea here.

Isn't that

what the

gospel of

Jesus Christ

does?

Isn't that

what Jesus

did himself?

He thought

of others

and went

ahead and

died for

others to

have life.

College

students,

you are on

a collision

course to

making good

money.

You're headed

in that

direction.

Some of you

maybe,

some of you

might not,

but most of

you have an

opportunity to

make good

money.

money.

What are

you going to

work for?

What is

going to be

your end

goal?

Is it to

give away?

Is it to

be generous?

So, let's

say you make

$50,000,

$60,000,

$70,000,

$80,000 a

year.

What can

you live off

of?

What can

you live off

of?

Give the

rest.

Give the

rest away.

Be generous,

as Ephesians

4.28 tells

us.

Maybe,

just maybe,

you will be

put in that

position to

provide for

a kingdom

movement that

we have never

seen before.

Just maybe

your money

that you

give might

be the

fuel,

might be

what provides

for a

movement.

six-figure

income even.

That's not

for your

kingdom.

That's not.

That's for

God's kingdom.

Live modestly.

Give much.

Don't fall

for what

others in the

world tells

you.

You don't

need the

$50,000

car or

the $200

jeans or

the $300,000

house.

your kingdom

will fall.

That's what

you try to

build.

Babylon,

Roman Empire,

they built

their kingdoms

and what

happened?

They fell.

Now,

of course,

you're not

going to be

building a

Roman Empire,

but you are

going to be

building a

castle.

If you're

trying to build

your kingdom,

you're trying

to build

your castle.

You're trying

to build

your retirement,

you're trying

to build this,

you're trying

to build that.

You get all

your stuff

around you.

That stuff

is worthless.

Worth nothing

in the big

picture.

And here

in Ephesians

4, 28,

let the thief

no longer

steal, but

rather let

him labor,

doing honest

work with

his own

hands.

We would

agree with

that, yes.

Let us all

do honest

work with

our own

hands, dig

ditches,

teach students,

be lawyers,

doctors, heal

people.

Yes.

So that he

may have

something to

share with

anyone in

need.

That should

be our

drive.

That should

be our

direction we're

headed.

That's why we

get a six

figure income,

so that we

can then be

generous to

people in

need.

We can

provide for

them.

That's what we

can provide

for ourselves.

We work to

be generous.

Do you

work to be

generous?

College students,

will you

work to

be generous?

Fourthly,

we work to

build the

kingdom.

We work to

build the

kingdom.

Turn to

1 Peter 2.

If you've

got a

bookmark or

keep your

finger there

because we

will come

back to

this text

in a

moment.

In 1

Peter 2,

we have a

couple verses

and I want

to highlight

actually just

one right

now.

1 Peter 2,

1 Peter 2:12

verse 12.

The text

says,

keep your

conduct among

the Gentiles

honorable,

so that when

they speak

against you

as evildoers,

they may see

your good deeds

and glorify

God on the

day of

hesitation.

salvation.

We work

to build

the kingdom.

Keep your

conduct among

the Gentiles

honorable.

Now here,

Gentiles is a

people group,

yes,

but he's also

speaking,

the people group

represents sinners,

lost people,

non-believers.

Non-believers.

believers.

So they may

see your

good deeds,

the way

you work,

how you

work,

why you

work.

And the

end result

here from

this text,

so they may

glorify God

on the day

of visitation,

so that they

may become

Christians.

We work

to be

generous

in and out

of our

circle of

influence,

but now

we work

to preach

the gospel

in our

circle

of influence

and build

the kingdom.

Colossians 1

Colossians 1:28–29

verse 28-29

says,

Him we

proclaim,

Him being

Christ,

warning everyone

and teaching

everyone with

all wisdom

that we may

present everyone

mature in

Christ.

for this

I toil,

there's that

word again,

painful,

struggling,

struggling with

all His

energy that

He powerfully

works within

me.

We have an

impact on

people around

us,

people who we

work with,

people who we

sit next to

and cubicle

next to us

or dig

ditches with

or heal

people with.

we have an

impact on

people's lives.

The people

in your life

have been

placed there.

You have

been placed

there for a

reason.

Been placed

there by a

sovereign God.

The question

is,

will you make

much of

yourself,

will you

steal,

self-worship,

or will

you make

much of

Jesus?

You're

going to

do one

of two

things.

You will

either make

much of

yourself by

complaining,

by grumbling,

by having

conversations in

secret about

co-workers and

the employer and

the company and

how horrible it

is, by

stealing, by

hating the

work and

even by being

apathetic and

not caring.

Or,

you will

make much

of Jesus

by talking

about Him,

by preaching

the gospel,

by having

hard conversations,

by working

to your

fullest

potential.

Now,

there's a

sports

cliche.

It applies

to a

temporal

thing,

sports,

temporal

activities,

here today,

maybe gone

tomorrow.

But we

can apply

it to an

eternal

application.

application

here.

Sports

of the

Slave is

leaving it

all on

the field,

giving our

everything out

there on

the field so

we have

nothing left.

That team

really left

it all on

the field.

They really

worked hard.

They played

hard.

They played

together.

They really

showed us

something.

We should

leave it all

on the field

when we

are at work.

We should

work to our

fullest potential.

Why?

Because we

can make

much of

Jesus.

We can

make much

of Him

by working

and leaving

it all

out on

the field.

As

Colossians

says,

do you

toil?

Do you

grow tired?

Do you

grow weary

to teach

and warn

the people

at your

workplace

with your

words and

with your

actions?

sins?

Let us

all repent

of our

selfishness

and fear.

Let us

trust God.

Let us

all work

as if

eternity

hangs in

the balance.

Let us

all work

and be

the employees

of the

month.

We should

be the

best employees.

We should

be the

guys working

our tails

off.

We should

be the

guys that

are hated

honestly.

Oh,

that Daniel,

he works

his tail off.

He makes

us all

look bad.

Amen.

Why do

you work

that way,

Daniel?

Well,

because God

tells me to,

because I

love Jesus,

I don't

make much

of Jesus.

Let me

tell you

about Jesus.

There's

opportunities

through the

way you

work to

make much

of Jesus,

to make

much of

Him,

or to

try to

make much

of

yourself.

Fifthly,

and we've

touched on

it,

pieces here

and there,

we work

to glorify

the King.

We work

to glorify

Jesus.

Okay?

Turn to

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10.

Put a mark

in 1 Peter

because we'll

be back.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10.

If you're

familiar with

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10,

then you know

where we're

headed.

at the end

of the

chapter,

we work

to glorify

the King.

Not only

do we work

to build

the Kingdom,

capital K,

we work

to glorify

the King,

capital K.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:31

chapter 10,

verse 31.

So whether

you eat

or drink

or whatever

you do,

do all

to the glory

of God.

Give no offense

to Jews

or to Greeks

or to the

church of God.

Just as I try

to please

everyone in

everything I do,

not seeking

my own

advantage,

we work

to be generous,

we work

to be selfless,

but that of

many that

they may

be saved.

Our ultimate

purpose to

work,

our ultimate

trump card,

is the work

for the glory

of God

and to

the glory

of God.

So whatever

you do,

do all

the glory

of God.

This means

that whoever

you are

and whatever

you do,

no matter

what,

okay,

not no matter

what,

scratch that,

there's some

things we can't

do to the glory

of God

and you guys

can figure

those out.

Due to

the glory

of God.

William Tyndale,

who translated

the Bible

into English,

he says this,

he says,

if we look

externally,

look externally,

so from

our vantage

point,

there is a

difference

between

washing of

dishes

and preaching

of the

Word of

God.

But,

as touching

to please

God,

none at

all.

God

looketh not

principally

at the

external part

of the

work,

but much

more to

the heart

of Him

that does

it.

In other

words,

God looks

at the

heart of

a man

and not

the task

that the

man is

doing

or woman.

Think about

it,

He's right.

The Sermon on the

Mount,

Jesus repeatedly

raised the bar.

Why?

Because it was

about the

heart.

It was not

about what

the people

were doing.

He called

the religious

leaders

whitewashed

tombs.

Tombs have

dead carcasses,

dead bodies

in them,

dead corpses,

smelly,

stinky,

disgusting,

and the

outside,

it's all

pretty and

prim and

proper and

painted.

What you

do on the

outside does

not matter.

It's what's

on the inside

is what He's

saying.

It means

that whether

you gather

garbage,

you dig

ditches,

or you

preach to

thousands,

all of it

can be done

for the

glory of

God.

It also

means that

you're calling

to teach.

You're calling

to sit in a

cubicle all

day.

You're calling

to take care

of animals.

You're calling

to build

houses.

It's no

less important

than the

preacher who's

preaching on

Sunday morning

or at a

major conference

in a big

city.

Which also

means that

preachers in

this room,

you're not

any more

important,

I'm not

any more

important than

any of

you.

that is

empowering.

That is

freeing.

That is

good news

for all

of us.

All of us

in this

room who

are called

into the

world as

county

employees,

corporate

employees,

small business

owners,

preachers and

counselors,

all of us

can bring

glory to

God in

what we

do.

We can

all storm

the world

with the

gospel,

by the

power of

the gospel,

for the

love of

people,

and for

the love

of God.

See,

we infiltrate

the workplace

with the

gospel when

and only

when we

let the

gospel

infiltrate

every area

of our

life.

So then

culture is

then engaged

by the

gospel in

us,

in our

workplaces.

So why

do we

work?

The how

comes out

of why

we work.

we work

to bring

glory to

God.

We work

to be

generous.

Now,

if you

notice the

five reasons

that I

gave you,

there are

no selfish

reasons.

There are

no self-centered

me reasons.

We don't

work for

ourselves.

Sure,

we have

bills.

Sure,

we pay

our bills.

Sure,

we have

to buy

groceries.

We take

care of

our

families.

but

nothing

self-focused.

We're

to be

focused on

others in

God's

kingdom.

Because the

gospel leads

to a heart

change.

And when the

heart changes,

our want-tos

change as

well.

What we

want to

do.

So out of

the why,

why we

work,

the how

we work.

Why we

work because

of the

gospel,

how do

we work?

How do

we live?

I made

an assumption

this morning.

I assume

that everyone

in this

room are

Christians.

And the

assumption

was,

or is,

because you

can't live

this way

without

Christ.

You cannot

live and

work these

five ways.

You can

try.

But you

can't work

this way

without

Christ.

In

Ephesians

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

and in

1 Peter

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2,

both texts

come after

deep doctrinal

statements about

who you are

as a

Christian.

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:17

chapter 4

verse 17

says,

Now this I

say and

testify in

the Lord

that you

must no

longer walk

as the

Gentiles do

in the

futility of

their minds.

They are

darkened in

their

understanding,

alienated from

the life of

God because

of the

ignorance that

is in

them due

to their

hardness of

heart.

They have

become callous

and have

given themselves

up to

sensuality,

greedy to

practice every

kind of

impurity.

But that

is not the

way you

learn Christ.

Assuming that

you have heard

about Him and

were taught in

Him as the

truth is in

Jesus, to

put off your

old self which

belongs to your

former manner of

life and is

corrupt through

deceitful desires

and to be

renewed in the

spirit of your

minds and to

put on the

new self created

after the

likeness of

God in true

righteousness and

holiness.

Put off the

old self.

Put on the

new.

You are a

Christian.

You are born

again.

You are bought

with the blood

of Jesus Christ.

Live like it.

Big doctrinal

statement.

1 Peter 2.

verse 9 and

10.

But you are a

chosen race, a

royal priesthood, a

holy nation, a

people for His

own possession, that

you may proclaim the

excellency of Him who

called you out of

darkness into His

marvelous light.

Once you were not a

people, but now you

are God's people.

Once you had not

received mercy, but

now you have

received mercy.

mercy.

You are a chosen

race.

You are a royal

priesthood, and the

only way that you are

a royal priesthood is

that you are adopted

into the family of

God royalty.

So the assumption

is that everyone in

here is a Christian.

And it is a mistake

for me to assume

that.

Our text tells us

you cannot live this

way without being a

Christian.

So are you a

chosen race?

Are you a royal

priesthood?

Are you a holy

nation?

Do you know Jesus

as your Savior?

Do you work to His

glory or to your

own?

See, work really

becomes a worship

issue.

When you really

unfold it, when you

really peel back all

the layers, do you

work to worship

yourself or do you

work to worship

God?

And that is the

question we have to

ask and that we have

to answer this

morning.

So when we see

our, our, uh, uh,

what's it called?

What's it called,

Nathan?

Our Christ family

exists to, yeah, our

vision.

It's called a vision.