Work, Vocation & the Gospel

Thanks, everyone, for being here this morning. This is our fourth week of our class on integrating work in faith.

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That it's active and living and that it applies to our day-to-day lives.

We thank you that you've designed us for work, Lord, that you call us into relationship with you, Lord,

and that in that relationship you call us to participate in the cultivation of your kingdom.

And we just pray that the realities of that would be impressed upon us this morning, Lord,

that we would learn more about you and your will for our lives as we discuss these matters together.

And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Alright, so I thought it would be helpful, again, just to review,

because a lot of what we're discussing is building on the previous week's discussions.

So I'll go through the first few weeks' material, and then we can dive into our topic for today.

So, in our first week, Kumlay covered an overview of the design of work and highlighted four main points.

First, work is good. It's something that God did and does, and therefore, by definition, is a good thing.

And second, we were created to work.

God created us in his image, and since he works and it is good, he created us to mirror his work in creation.

And we're so designed in this way that Tim Keller says that working is as essential to human flourishing as food and water.

Third, God calls people to a variety of work, which we'll expand on a little bit more today.

And lastly, work comes with God-given limits.

Because we are not the owners of our work, we're called to join in God's work under his authority,

and our work comes with limits in that way.

So, in our second week, we expanded on a couple of these points by diving into the concept of work as a calling.

And there were a few key truths that we highlighted in that class as well.

We said our calling is twofold.

To bring out the wonder of God's design through cultivation of the created order,

and to be an instrument of God's providence serving the needs of our neighbors.

So, we recall Dorothy Sayers' definition of work, that it's a gracious expression of creative energy offered in service to others.

So, we also extended a point from week one.

We said that because our salvation doesn't depend on our work, we can view all work as equally important,

as we all participate together in the cultivation of God's kingdom.

So, intellectual and physical work, secular and spiritual work, paid and unpaid work,

material and cultural work, like building bridges or building families,

these are all forms of labor in which God has called or commissioned certain people to participate for the sake of his kingdom.

And all of these forms of work are equally valid and valuable in the eyes of God.

Knowing these, we talked about discerning a calling in wisdom,

and that it identifies, in doing that, we identify ways that God is calling us to use our God-given gifts to meet a God-ordained need.

We talked about a term that Keller calls a ministry of competence.

And some of the best ways that we can step into the calling that God has for us is to identify things that he's equipped us well to do,

to meet a need that he's identified to us.

We also talked about discerning this in prayer.

We didn't have time to focus on this quite as much, but in our discerning in wisdom,

we also want to consider what we're doing in prayer and engagement with faithful brothers and sisters,

because sometimes God calls us to do things that defy the wisdom of the world.

So just because we're not good at something doesn't mean that God wouldn't call us to do it anyway.

And being engaged in a community that can help us discern that in prayer is a good thing.

So all of this was a discussion of the goodness of work.

And then last week, Kunle introduced the brokenness of work.

He discussed how sin and brokenness in creation can lead to frustration and despair in our work.

And this happens for a couple of reasons.

First, work can become fruitless, meaning that in all our work,

we'll be able to envision far more than we can accomplish,

both because of a lack of our ability and also because of the resistance

that we might experience in the environment around us.

And second, even when work is productive or fruitful, it can become meaningless

and it can leave us feeling empty even after we've achieved our aspirations.

Kunle also shared some helpful tactics to reorient ourselves

when we struggle with fruitlessness or meaninglessness.

He noted that adjusting our expectations of work

and maintaining a view of the resurrection and eternity

can be helpful as we persevere in the face of brokenness in our work.

We should expect resistance to productivity

and feelings of dissatisfaction sometimes because of the curse.

But by recognizing that God still provides in the midst of all of this

and has promised redemption and restoration in the end through Jesus,

we can rest in the fact that our labor is not in vain, as Paul says.

So all of this was an examination of how sin and brokenness in creation affects our work.

But today we want to look at how sin and brokenness in our own hearts

impacts our experience with work.

And I just want to lay out a few points from the very beginning for clarity,

the things that I hope we will all walk away with today after our discussion.

If God's design for work is, as Sayers puts it,

a gracious expression of creative energy offered in service to others,

then sin can make work selfish, meaning it's not in service to others.

Sin in our work reveals our idols to us and it distorts the expression of creative energy.

And identifying and resisting our idols can help us, again, reorient to God's good design for work.

So those are the things that we want to work through today.

Let me just pause after the review for any questions, comments.

Okay, so we'll dive in then.

So we've established that one of the primary features of being called to work

is that we're called in service to others.

That means that meaning and satisfaction and work come from God

when we are operating in service to Him first

and in service to His creation second.

This is the design of work as modeled by God's cultivation of and care for His creation.

But when sin entered the equation, we saw that the ground was cursed

and with it our work.

And it's not just the ground that was cursed,

it's also our hearts that were corrupted by sin.

And one of the consequences of this

is that work becomes a means of serving our own self-interests

rather than a means to cultivate and care for God's creation.

So we don't have to look much further in Genesis

to see an example of the outworking of this.

Genesis 11 describes the story of the Tower of Babel.

I'll just read that for us quickly, starting in verse 1.

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words,

and as people migrated from the east,

they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

And they said to one another,

Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.

And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar.

Then they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city

and a tower with its top in the heavens,

and let us make a name for ourselves,

lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower

which the children of man had built.

And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people,

and they have all one language,

and this is only the beginning of what they will do.

And nothing that they propose to do

will now be impossible for them.

Come, let us go down there and confuse their language

so that they may not understand one another's speech.

So the Lord dispersed them from there

over the face of all the earth,

and they left off building the city.

So we said last week that work can at times

become fruitless and pointless.

But in a worldly sense, when we look at Genesis 11,

the labor of the people in Shinar

was neither fruitless nor pointless on its face.

What could be a more obvious application

of fruitful cultivation than making bricks and mortar

and building a tower?

Right?

And what could be more meaningful

than using this technology to build a society

where people can live in safety

and they can thrive together?

Right?

I'm sure this was part of the thought process,

but despite the fruitful endeavors of the people

toward what I'm sure seemed like a meaningful goal,

we know quite well that their work was not pleasing

in the sight of the Lord.

Why?

Even when work feels fruitful and meaningful,

there's a danger lurking in the shadows

when work becomes selfish,

when work is not ultimately in service to the Lord first,

even if it is, in a way, in service to others.

So in verse 4, look at verse 4, it says,

they say to themselves,

come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower

with its top in the heavens

and let us make a name for ourselves

lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.

So you could envision an alternate scenario

where the people say, come,

let us build a city and a tower to the glory of the Lord

and let us proclaim the wonders of his handiwork

so that the cultivation of his kingdom

might progress in his good timing.

And in the alternate scenario,

the product might have been exactly the same,

a tower with its top to the heavens, right?

But what we learn is that when the attitudes

and intents underneath our labor

are not oriented in service to the Lord and his kingdom,

it ultimately leads to the detriment of what we're doing.

The people were building their tower in their city

out of pride and anxiety

to make a name for themselves

so that they may not be dispersed

across the face of the earth.

And their efforts to build the tower were successful,

but their city development was stalled

and their ultimate fear of being dispersed

was realized,

not just in the physical component,

but in the relational component

when their languages were confused.

So I think this harkens back to some of the discussion

from last week that Kumli got into,

that the book of Ecclesiastes highlights

the futility of work

and indeed all things,

when life is divorced

from the presence of the Lord,

from the presence of the creator

and giver of all things.

In chapter four there,

the teacher Koheleth says,

then I saw that all toil

and all skill and work

come from a man's envy of his neighbor.

This also is vanity

and a striving after the wind.

C.S. Lewis puts it differently

in his book,

Mere Christianity.

He says,

now what I want you to get clear

is that pride is essentially competitive.

It's competitive by its very nature.

Pride gets no pleasure

out of having something,

only out of having more of it

than the next man.

We say people are proud of being rich

or clever or good looking,

but they are not.

They are proud of being richer

or cleverer

or better looking than others.

So we can enjoy great fruitfulness

and meaning from our work

building a taller tower,

a better bridge,

a nicer family,

a morally just society,

and we can be doing

all of these things

out of interest

in excellence

and service to human beings.

Or we can be doing them

to differentiate

and elevate ourselves.

In the latter,

our labor is almost certain

to suffer in the long term

and ultimately

to disappoint us

when it does not give us

the thing which we

are seeking out of it.

So that's

a way that work

can become selfish.

We also want to discuss

idols,

but I want to stop

for comments,

questions,

reflections.

Yes?

Is it wrong to be,

like let's say you

accomplish something

outward,

is it wrong to just

kind of sit and enjoy

like even if it's a small win?

It's not necessarily

kind of a place of pride,

it's just like,

hey, I worked really hard,

so I'm happy this went well.

Let me repeat your question

so I understand it

and for the recording too.

You're asking,

if something goes well

at work,

is it okay

to enjoy it?

Is that the,

yeah?

I think that's a great question

and I think the answer

is yes

and it depends,

right?

I think part of what

we want to do today

is go through

an exercise

of examining

the motivations

in our own heart

for how we're

approaching things

at work.

And so I think

at its face,

enjoying that

something went well

is absolutely

a great thing,

right?

Like God gives us

blessings and opportunities

to engage in the work

that he's called us to do

and what a great thing

it is

when because of

his grace in our lives,

the things that

he's called us to

are in fact

bringing tangible fruit

and cultivation

to the world

in a way that

helps people

and brings us

satisfaction

in the work

of his kingdom,

right?

I think where the danger

comes is when

what we're enjoying

is not the cultivation

of his kingdom

but our own

personal successes

for our own

sort of pride

and we want to get

into that a little bit

more today

but that's a great

question.

Yeah, Peter.

To comment on that,

I think that might

go back to the

C.S. Lewis quote

about pride

and I think it goes

down to a difference

of, you know,

pride and being

proud of something.

Like I can be,

you know,

proud of my child's

accomplishments

as much as I can

be, you know,

proud or happy

that, you know,

the Lord helped me

accomplish something.

But when you get

done with that

monumental task

and it gets done

and you're like,

oh, thank you,

God, I, you know,

we got through it

and sit back

and relax

and be happy

that it's complete,

it can slip

into the whole

pride thing

of,

huh,

I'll bet you

Jamie could

have done it

as well.

Yeah.

No, I think

that's a great

point.

I think if we,

again,

I think what we

want to get into

is sort of an

examination of

our own motives

and if we're

finding

enjoyment

in,

not in the

achievement

of the thing

for the sake

of the Lord's

kingdom,

but in the

achievement

of the thing

for the sake

of being better

than another,

as Peter is

saying,

then I think

we get into

some ways

that we need

to be examining

ourselves.

Yeah, Susan

or Ivor.

I'm past this,

but I think

the big mind

field is when

you're looking

for work

and here

you have to

sell yourself

and write

your resume

as if every

good thing

that ever

happened to

your life

is a tribute

to your

capabilities.

And I

understand

the whole

thing about

credentials

and that's

not the

part that

bothers me

is just

it's a

mind field.

It's a

mind field.

I think

it's really

hard to

think your

way through

that as a

Christian.

Yeah, I

think that's

a great

word,

Susan,

just the

idea that

we have

to,

in the

way our

current

society works,

the way

that we

search for

a job

is by

meditating on

all of the

good things

that we've

done so

that we

can condense

it in a

resume.

And I

think there

is a

right recognition

again of the

way that

God has

designed work

and the

way that he

has designed

us to work.

And I think

it's okay to

recognize that

he's equipped

us in

particular

and unique

ways and

that in

his sovereignty

there are

particular needs

in the

world that

he's calling

us to

fill.

And so

I do,

but I

think your

point is

right that

it's a

minefield for

us to

continuously

recognize that

these achievements

we're putting

on paper for

our resume

are achievements

that God

has equipped

us to do

for the sake

of his

kingdom and

not for our

own personal

advancement.

Yes,

yes.

I've heard.

I was taught

from a very

young age that

we're supposed

to take pride

in our work

in order to

do the best

job we

possibly can.

Sarah,

yeah?

Just one

comment.

I agree,

and I think

also the use

of the word

pride can be

like various,

but I just

was remembering

back to like

John Hinkson's

session on

sub-creators,

and then how

Kumlay opened

up this series

of work on

creation.

If we go back

to Genesis

131,

God set kind

of an example

for us to

look at the

work and feel

satisfied.

He says God

saw everything

that he had

made, and

behold it was

very good.

And so I

think there's

a model for

us to kind

of observe

the work

that God

has done

through us,

and making

sure that we

keep things in

the right

place, but

to feel

satisfaction, I

think, in the

work that's

done is good

and right,

and if I'm

speaking for

my own self,

it's difficult

to discern.

Often there's

like a dual

intention in a

lot of these

feelings that we

experience.

And so just

to acknowledge

that and enjoy

that and feel

the satisfaction

with an eye

on keeping

our intentions

pure and

listening to the

Holy Spirit for

conviction in

those moments,

I think it's

both and for

those things.

Yeah, I think

that's a great

point.

You know,

sin corrupts

everything,

which is why we

always have to

be on guard

with our own

idols and our

own motivations.

But I think

it's a great

point that when

we say being

proud of our

work, like Ivor

says, I think

there's a degree

of taking

satisfaction in

our work and

kind of, you

know, stepping

back and looking

what God has

equipped you to

accomplish and

beholding the

beauty and the

goodness of what

it is, right?

And I think when

we say we're proud

of our work,

there's an element

of that in it

that is a good

thing.

But I think

Sarah's right

that using the

word pride can

have different

connotations.

and when we

say we're proud

of ourselves

in the work

that we've

done, then it

becomes a

little bit more

dangerous.

Sammy?

Pride, however,

does not make

people successful,

right?

That's absolutely

correct.

Yeah, pride does

not make people

successful, I

think.

Pride and in

that we do not

make ourselves

successful, right?

God makes us

successful.

humble ourselves

before the Lord.

Yes, I think

that's a great

word.

We absolutely

should always be

humbling ourselves

before the Lord.

Yeah, thank you.

Okay, so this is

really helpful and I

think we want to

take some time to

talk through

idols.

It's a little bit

of an expansion on

what we're already

talking about here,

so let me keep

going.

We said our

first point is

that sin makes

work selfish rather

than a labor in

service to others,

but this leads to

the subsequent

point, which is

that work pursued

for our own ends

reveals the idols

that we have set up

in our own hearts

and these idols

can wreak havoc in

our work in a

variety of ways.

So let's look at

Exodus 20 quickly

to talk through the

concept of idols for

just a second.

Exodus 20 says,

you shall have no

other gods before

me.

You shall not make

for yourself a

carved image or any

likeness of anything

that is in heaven

above or that is in

the earth beneath or

that is in the water

under the earth.

You shall not bow

down to them or

serve them.

So most of us are

not carving images

and bowing down to

them, but the Bible

is clear that we set

up idols in our

hearts in such a way

that making an idol

is not just a

physical process.

Keller describes it

in this way.

He says,

making an idol means

imagining and trusting

anything to deliver

the control,

security,

significance,

satisfaction,

and beauty that only

the real God can

give.

It means turning a

good thing into an

ultimate thing.

So when we turn a

good thing into an

ultimate thing, it

draws our attention

and our devotion from

God and it puts it

in a place where it

doesn't belong.

Aside from the

danger that idols

present in our walk

with God, they also

have disastrous

implications in the

outworking of our

labor.

Idols impair our

wisdom, they corrupt

our fruit, and they

diminish our

satisfaction in our

calling.

I'm not sure how

many of you ever

watch The Office,

the American TV

show, but there's

one character named

Dwight who idolizes

ambition and company

profit.

So he's always

seeking a way to

elevate himself above

his colleagues as the

ultimate loyal

employee.

And there's one

episode in particular,

this is one of my

favorites, when he

tries to increase

company profits by

installing meters on

the stalls of the

bathrooms for the

employees.

Right?

So his efforts, of

course, never come to

fruition, and he's

always left frustrated

because he can't

achieve his goals.

Right?

So if we think back to

Sayer's definition,

work is a gracious

expression of creative

energy offered in

service to others.

Nobody could accuse

Dwight of a lack of

creativity or energy in

his solution for

maximizing profits.

And likewise, nobody

could accuse the

people of Shinar of a

lack of creativity or

energy in building a

tower.

The downfall here in

both of these

situations is that the

creative energy is not

offered in service to

others, but rather in

service ultimately to

themselves, to their

success, to their

notoriety, and their

greatness.

And in so doing, the

normally good goal

isn't realized because

the effort is corrupted

by their misplaced

ultimate goal.

Right?

And I think one of the

points that we really

want to examine today is

that we all do this in

various ways in our

work, not to the level

of sort of hilarity of

installing meters on

the bathroom stalls,

but buried in our

day-to-day activities

are these spoken or

unspoken goals and

expectations that drive

the way we think about

and carry out our work.

And when these goals or

expectations are

elevated above their

rightful places in our

hearts, they become

idols that do what we

said earlier.

They impair our

decision-making and

they diminish our

satisfaction in the

work that we're doing.

So a dedication to

high work ethic and

fiscal responsibility

improperly elevated

becomes an unhealthy

focus on accumulation of

wealth.

So we then find

ourselves tempted or

confused in morally

gray areas of profit

making because of fear

loss of income

opportunity.

And we think if I work

hard, but I don't make

good money, then I'll

never enjoy abundance.

These kinds of if-then

statements are the things

where I think we can

start to probe what is

the thing that we're not

believing?

What are the biblical

truths that we're not

believing here?

A recognition of the

goodness of being in

relationship with others

improperly elevated

becomes an endless

pursuit of acceptance

and affirmation from the

world.

So then we start

placing burdens on our

family and friends that

they can't carry out of

fear of being alone and

isolated.

We think if I don't find

the right friends, the

right spouse, raise the

right kids, then I'll

never enjoy meaningful

relationships and I'll be

alone forever.

If I don't find success

in my work, then all of

my work is for nothing.

If I don't advance in my

job, I'll never have the

opportunity to make a

difference.

These if-then statements

reveal the idols that are

seated in our hearts.

And I think examining them

in our own hearts can be

helpful.

We said that idols impair

our decision-making and

diminish our satisfaction

and our calling.

So guarding against

these or even dethroning

them with the help of the

Lord can prevent or

reverse these effects by

reorienting our hearts

toward God's good design

for work.

So ultimately, I think

what we're trying to do

in reversing this is

illuminating wise direction

in our work and

persevering in the face of

fear or frustration or

disappointment in our work.

So I'm going to stop there

too and ask for comments,

questions, reflections.

There are so many ways that

idols can be set up in our

hearts that it's hard to

sort of comprehensively think

through all of the ways that

this might happen.

But I think it's helpful to

think through just a few

examples.

So I have an example.

I'm an engineer and I can

give some examples from my

own job and how working this

out can kind of look.

But at this point, what I'm

hoping is for discussion

and engagement.

So I'll talk about it a little

bit, but interrupt me at any

point if you want.

So we talked about these kind

of high level things, right?

I can be setting up an idol,

pursuing wealth, you know,

relationships, success in my

work or advancement in my job.

These are high level things,

but getting into the specifics

for our day to day is I think

where it can be helpful.

So as I said, I'm an

engineer.

Most engineers really like to

build things.

But the more complex the thing

is and the riskier it is to

the user, the more documentation

is required.

And documentation typically

isn't the first love of

engineers to my knowledge.

But it is good and necessary.

But there's one big if-then

statement that I think we all

have to be on guard against when

we're engaging in our

documentation and that's if

nobody reads this document,

then the work doesn't matter.

Right?

This is a real issue for me

because lots of engineers work

on lots of products that never

see the light of day because

for whatever reason the

product was not deemed viable

in the market.

And so often when we're

documenting things, it's well

recognized that some of the

documents, not all, but some

of them may never get reviewed

by anyone.

So we said work is a gracious

expression of creative energy

offered in service to others.

So if I make documents that

nobody will read describing a

product that will never get

made, does the work no longer

matter?

Should we as engineers bother

putting any of our creative

energy into making these

documents good?

Mixed up in the question I think

is some of what we've discussed

both from this week and last

week.

There's an idle at play here.

If others do not see and

approve of my work, then what I

do has no meaning and thus no

value.

Yes, Iver?

I would disagree with that

because you are letting management

know that this product is not going

to work.

I agree.

Yes.

So the idea that in our

documentation we're letting our

management know that the product is

not going to work.

work.

So even if whatever customers

don't see the instructions that we

wrote, the regulatory bodies don't

see the reports that we wrote,

whatever it happens to be, they do

still have value.

And I think that's the point that we

want to get to, Iver, is that the

idle, the thing that we tend to

believe in those moments is the

lie.

Right?

Like, I'm going to do this and

nobody's going to read it and so it

doesn't matter.

That's not true.

Yeah, Peter.

Well, the fatal flaw in that thought

process is that nobody's going to

see it when, of course, you know,

you're working for the Lord and so

the Lord's going to still see it.

Yes, that is exactly right.

So the Lord is still going to see it.

And I think, I'm going to start

jumping around now in my notes and so

it's going to get a lot less

organized, so I apologize.

But that highlights something that's

really important.

And this is for me personally, like,

as I was writing this, this is, I

needed this this week, right?

Because I'm working on a lot of

documents right now that I'm like,

I don't know where these are going to

go, but they are important.

And I needed this reminder.

And Kunle shared the Tolkien story,

Leaf by Nigel, last week.

This idea that there's an artist who

has a vision of a tree.

And this tree is big and beautiful and

glorious.

And it's in his mind.

And he takes, he takes up the task of

trying to put it on paper.

And he labors for so long and he labors so

hard.

And the only thing he got out of it was

this little leaf.

And he despairs over it.

And in the end, when he dies and he's in

heaven, he's, he finds the tree in all of

its beauty, in all of its glory.

And he recognizes his role in, in just

bringing out just the little bit of beauty

now that's a reflection and a signpost of

the beauty that is to come in the very end.

And so that is, and that gets back to what

Peter is saying about this example of

documentation.

I'm saying somewhere there is a glorious

filing cabinet that's full of all of the

reports that nobody saw with all of the

knowledge that I forgot, comprehensively

documented with clarity and precision.

And I'll have my one little page in there

that was just my little contribution.

And it will be glorious.

And so I think even if nobody ever saw it,

the Lord would see it.

And what I want to guard against a little

bit is, is we want to engage in the work

well, not out of fear of judgment from the

Lord for doing it improperly, but out of a

hope of what the Lord is doing in the midst

of our feebleness and our, our just finiteness in,

and in, in, in our sin in the world.

Susan.

Alex, I just want to add to that.

We mentioned with, like, that we're very poor

judges of our own, the efficacy of our own work.

So you, from my own limited perspective, it does seem like

nobody's going to ever see this.

I would say that your co-workers may notice what energy you give to this.

And they may know that that's kind of unusual.

And we don't know what power it is you have in, in being, in having

integrity and things that maybe other people don't know.

So we're just, I think that's, yeah, a great word, Susan.

I think there is an element of when we work unto the Lord, as unto the Lord and

not for man, there is an element of being salt and light in the world and being

sort of set apart as followers of Christ.

And, and I think what we're trying to, I think what we're trying to highlight in

those moments is the hope that we have for our work, that our work, our labor is

not in vain.

It matters because it's part of the cultivation of God's kingdom.

And it's part of his care for creation, even if in our limited view, we don't

really see how that, how that plays out.

Sarah?

Just share some additional like perspective.

I feel like what you were sharing is like this moment of discouragement in your

work.

And then we point back to what is true, right?

And so I feel like for me in these, these highs and these lows of work, often it's

the high and the low where the idolatry has crept in for me.

And so when I'm feeling like, oh my gosh, what am I even doing on my computer?

Like I'm just tapping a million keys.

You know, what does this even mean?

And I have my existential crisis.

Often that's when sin has crept in, right?

And so we anchor on, this is my calling actually, and it matters because God has

said, go and be sub creators, go and do the work that I have called you to do.

And today, this is your work and, you know, do it.

And, and I, and it is bringing me glory.

The fact that you are doing what I have called you to do and, you know, and keeping

that anchor of perspective while examining our hearts, you know, for the, the idols

that may have crept in and reminding ourselves what is true, you know, and, and how it matters.

But I think ultimately keeping an eye on like God's glory and what he has called us to.

And that I think salt and light is an outpouring of us diligently following our calling and, and,

and listening to the Holy Spirit.

And, um, yeah, but anyways, I guess, sorry, I'm rambling a bit, but what I was sharing is

like, I feel like it's the highs and the lows where the examination and the idols and the,

um, the temptations creeps in most.

Yeah.

To kind of succumb to what you're saying.

Yeah.

That's great.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Hopefully it wasn't too off topic, but the Exodus reading made me think of the idea that in the

desert, there's sort of two, uh, settlements.

There's sort of the, the organizing community around the golden calf or organizing the community

in the sort of temporary cap encampment with the tabernacle at the center.

And so if that's sort of a metaphor for ourselves, we can kind of work on bringing our hearts of

the golden calf and sort of try to focus on the, the tabernacle, the center of our hearts.

But if it's also sort of a metaphor for our work, um, as you sort of work on ridding your

heart of the golden calf, if you're sort of living in a community that's organized around

the golden calf, that tension's kind of sort of increases as the golden calf is eradicated

and it's hard to, uh, to see that the center of your community is, is troubled.

I don't know if that gets too off topic.

No, it doesn't get off topic at all.

Actually, it's a, it's a really helpful point, um, that, uh, we, I, I, we didn't have time

quite to get to today, but I would really encourage anybody who's interested in that to go read

what Keller has written in his book because he has a lot of discussion on what he calls

corporate and cultural idols.

Um, and we talk a lot about at the individual level, uh, you know, the idols in our hearts

and how we look at our hearts and understand, um, how idols are influencing what we're doing.

But there, there are these sort of cultural and corporate influences that are at play, uh,

in, in, in the ways that sin is, is, um, is sort of corrupting the world and, um, and it matters,

uh, for us what sort of community that we're in because of the idols that, that are at play

in, in the various types of communities.

So, um, I'm not doing it justice.

Keller has some really great content on, on that.

Um, but I think it highlights the importance of being rooted in biblical community, no matter

what cultural context you're in.

Um, because that's where the truth that, that battles or dethrones these idols is going to

be constantly and regularly communicated and reinforced in our hearts.

Right.

So, so I, I think, I, I'm not sure if I understood your, your point or your question correctly, but,

um, but I, I think it's really helpful to, to identify.

Um, I'll just say in, uh, in a quick conclusion, um, that nobody does what we're talking about

perfectly.

Right.

Um, um, sin corrupts everything, um, including our hearts.

And I, somebody said it earlier, but like our motivations are always going to be kind of

mixed and pulled in different directions.

And the point in this is that we should always be running back to the Lord for his help in

humility and dependence, because he is the one who equips us to do the work that he has

called us to do.

So being less selfish and dethroning our idols doesn't make us more acceptable to God.

You know, this isn't the way that we make ourselves justified before the, uh, justified

before the Lord, but it's, um, it is work that he has called us to do, uh, as we engage

in our walk with him to just, um, be sensitive to the ways that the spirit is, is calling us

toward, uh, sanctification on a daily basis and calling us to, to engage in the work, um,

that, that he's called us to.

So, uh, there's a couple minutes left.

And so I do want to just leave room for any other questions or comments that have come up

from the discussion.

Okay.

Well, if there's nothing, then, um, I can close this in prayer, um, and, and we can head

downstairs.

Thanks everybody for, for coming today.

Uh, let's pray.

Lord, uh, we do just, uh, put all of this before you, um, and confess that, um, we are not sufficient

for the work that you've called us to do, but Lord, in your grace that you have equipped

us to, um, to engage in the work, Lord.

And we, we confess that, um, our selfishness and our idols do, uh, they, they corrupt our hearts,

Lord, and they, um, they distract from the work that you've called us to do.

And we just ask that by your spirit, you would be, um, you would be sanctifying us, um, day

by day, Lord, to make us, um, and mold us into the image of your son.

Um, and that you would give us a hope, um, in the difficulties of our work, that, uh, our

labor is not in vain, um, but that you are using and redeeming all of our labors.

Uh, for the sake of your kingdom, Lord.

And we just pray that we would, uh, find hope and joy and satisfaction in that.

And it's in Jesus Christ's name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

All right.

Thanks everyone for coming.

Um, I think we will not meet for the next two weeks.

Um, next week is Easter.

And then the week after that, Kunle and I are both out of town.

So, um, in three weeks we'll, we'll meet again.

So thanks for coming.

Sure.

Actually, I think you needed this class today.

Hmm?

I think I needed this class today.

Did you?

Good.

Yeah, the last time I went to work, I, uh, uh, had a patient.

And so, uh, originally I was, uh, working with just one, one patient that had an empty bed.

And, uh, another, uh, nurses, you know, had a busier, uh, and she's like, hey, maybe you can take my one patient.

That way, you know, I can just focus more on this other busier patient.

I, uh, and I told her, no, I don't think that's a good idea.

Yeah.

I'm a senior at that place.

Mm-hmm.

There's certain things that I've been trained to do that other nurses haven't been trained to do.

Right.

That in itself leads to worries about pride.

But I was like, no, I, you know, what happens if somebody comes in there and then we're switching the patient back again?

Yeah.

And, you know, you end up with three different nurses for one patient in a 12-hour shift.

Yeah.

There's no, well, a patient did end up coming in who not only was a really, really sick neuro patient, but also had peritoneal dialysis.

Mm-hmm.

Which everybody in neuro, you know, neck up, they, they, they don't know how to take care of anything else.

And there was definitely some toadstepping on the crime.

Yeah.

Nobody else could have taken care of this patient on the floor.

Yeah.

So.

Yeah.

Yeah?

No, I, I definitely needed this.

Yeah, well, I'm glad to hear that.

Thanks so much for, for sharing that.

It's an encouragement.

These are brilliant.

And I hope everything worked out well anyway with the, with the, yeah.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We, we, we, we got the stuff going.

Okay.

Okay.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Good.