God At Work, Part 3

The kids are with us.

It is Labor Day weekend.

And happy Labor Day weekend, everybody.

Arousing.

But it doesn't fail to impress upon me that this Labor Day weekend, we're talking about our labor.

We're talking about work.

And so let me give you a brief kind of catch-up on what we've been talking about the last couple weeks.

Two weeks ago, we were in Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

And we saw God's creation of work.

God is the ultimate worker.

And what He did in the creation of this world was good after good after good.

This is good.

And He gave us the creation mandate to represent Him to do good to others in the world He has created.

And so we are His representatives to do good to others through our work.

Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

And then, last Sunday, we saw how sin corrupts our work.

We went from Genesis 2, the garden pristine, perfect, to Genesis 3, the garden as a crime scene.

You could kind of wrap around that yellow crime scene tape for Genesis chapter 3.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

And in that passage, we were soberly made aware of the corrupting effect of sin in every area of our life, including our work.

And ever since Adam and Eve sinned, we've been born into it.

As a result, we have done something deeply, deeply grievous in God's sight.

We have rejected being His representatives in order to represent ourselves in the world.

We've rejected a God-centered view of all things for a self-centered view of all things.

So as our own representatives now, we're not looking to do good to others, but we're looking to get goods from others.

Instead of giving, we're taking.

It's the effect of sin.

All of us experience on a day-to-day basis.

We feel it, experience it in our very workplaces.

But there's something in Genesis 3 that I tried to draw out last week, and it was a promise in verse 15.

In the midst of curse, God promises that there's going to be an offspring of Eve that will come and crush the head of the serpent.

He's going to bring about a great reversal, which leads us into what we're talking about this Sunday.

Christ's redemption of our work.

God created our work.

Sin corrupts our work.

Christ redeems our work.

He is the promised offspring of Eve.

He crushed the head of the serpent on the cross, and He was raised from the dead.

And as a result, under His growing gracious reign, He's reversing sin's effect in us.

And so, we are all separated from God.

And so, because of the work Jesus did on the cross, now we are brought back into relationship with God, into His presence.

We are all experiencing strain in our relationship with others.

But because of what Jesus has done, we can now experience peace with others.

We all experience shame within ourselves.

But because of what Jesus has done, having paid for all of our sin, we have been set free from our shame.

And now, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And if that weren't enough, Jesus has begun a work in which we can experience His blessing and His peace with creation through our vocations.

He's doing a work.

The offspring of Eve has come.

And He's at work in our midst.

He's at work in our work.

Speaking of work,

some of you,

sitting here this morning,

you are wilting

in your workplaces.

You are withering

where God has planted you.

And so much so

that you feel stuck.

That you feel hopeless.

It's really difficult to get up

and go into work.

Because you're just feeling like you're going to get exposed

to the summer heat.

In our home,

we have a planter on the front steps of our porch.

And it's filled with a variety of plants.

And those plants are supposed to flower.

They're supposed to bring beauty, color, fragrance, and spread.

Now, what you need to know about the front porch of our house

is it's southerly exposed.

And so, it gets full sun all day long.

And this,

the poor plants in our planter,

they get neglected.

We don't water them.

And so, do you know what happens?

They wither

in the summer heat.

They shrivel

under the summer sun.

Is your workplace

like my front porch?

Do you feel constant exposure

to the heat of work

that makes you want to shrivel?

Do you feel like you're wilting

where you've been planted?

And maybe you've been feeling that way

for the last two days.

Maybe you've been feeling that way

for the last two weeks.

Two months.

Two years.

Two decades.

If you're feeling that way,

I'm glad God has planted you

in this place today.

You're in the right place

because it's time for you to bloom

where you've been planted.

We'll know more, brother and sister.

It's time to bloom

because Jesus, the Redeemer,

the one who brings peace,

He is able to make you bloom

where you've been planted.

He's the one.

He's the one that makes you thrive

in your workplace

regardless of the heat.

He not only rescues us

from sin and shame,

He makes us His representatives

in our workplaces

to do good to others

and to make us thrive.

Most of us spend about 30,

50 hours a week

in a work environment

that is essentially,

has essentially removed God

from its daily operations.

And so, at best,

our work environments are agnostic.

And at worst,

they threaten

when you open your mouth for Jesus.

So, why I bring this up

is you need to realize

that your work environment

is most likely not neutral.

And neither are you.

The sin that has corrupted Adam and Eve

has also corrupted your heart.

And so, you go into

a challenging work environment

with challenge in your heart.

Many of us go to work

with what Paul Tripp calls

God amnesia.

It's like Jesus pulls us up

to the front door

of our workplace

and He looks at us

like He wants to come in

and we're like,

no, Jesus, pick me up at 5,

see you later.

We walk in

and we forget about Him

for the rest of the day.

And it's not just God amnesia.

We go to work

with deep shame

in our hearts.

We go to work

with unaddressed drives

for success,

unchecked desires

for accomplishment,

unmet cravings

to be accepted

and when you see people

striving for these things,

the world seems

to cheer on loudly.

You go for that.

But your God says,

you don't need to live that way.

You don't need to be ruled

by these things.

So each of us,

we can go to work

saying that we're a follower

of Jesus

but walk into the front doors

and all of a sudden

we functionally deny

God at our work.

That changes today

because I've got good news

for you.

Jesus

is able to cause you

to bloom

in your work.

To bloom

where you've been planted.

Anybody in the room

want to know

how to bloom

where God has planted you?

Anyone?

Me too.

Even pastors

can go to work

and realize

three hours in

they haven't thought

about God.

We're going to turn

in our Bibles

to Colossians 3

verses 22

through 4

1.

And in these verses

God shows us

how to live

for Jesus

in our workplaces.

How to live out

the roles

that we've been given.

that we've been planted

into.

And so

for those of you

who are in the room

who are wilting at work

or maybe

withering a little bit

these words

are life

to you.

Hear the word

of God.

Bond servants

slaves

obey in everything

those who are

your earthly masters

not by way

of eye service

as people pleasers

but with sincerity

of heart

fearing the Lord.

Whatever you do

work heartily

as for the Lord

and not for men

knowing that

from the Lord

you will receive

the inheritance

as your reward.

You are serving

the Lord Christ

for the wrongdoer

will be paid back

for the wrong

he has done

and there is

no partiality.

Masters

treat your bond

servants

justly and fairly

knowing that

you also have

a master

in heaven

and I'm guessing

what you're thinking

right now is

Mike you had me

all charged up

to bloom

where I'm planted

and all of a sudden

you read me a passage

about slaves

and masters.

Well God has goodness

for us in here.

He instructs

people who are

in subordinate roles

how to live for Jesus

and then he instructs

people who are

in positions of authority

how to live for Jesus

in their workplace.

This is extremely

valuable for us

to know how to bloom

where God has placed us.

Here's the point.

If you are blood bought

you work for Jesus now.

The day that Jesus

saved you

not only did he say

you're mine now

you belong to me now

he said

you work for me now.

You don't work for yourself

you don't work for others

ultimately

you work for Jesus

now.

And I want to show you

that from this text.

There's two sections

from this text

it's the first four verses

Paul

God through Paul

addresses those

in a subordinate role

and then in chapter 4

verse 1

he addresses those

in a position of authority.

He's going to show us

how to bloom

where we've been planted.

But first

let me address

this issue

of slavery.

I just need to say up front

slavery

slavery

did not originate

in the garden

pristine.

Slavery

owning another

human being

is a consequence

of sin.

Slavery

in a variety

of forms

has been around

for a long time

and when you think

of slavery

and you are an American

you probably go

immediately

to the particularly

awful kind

of slavery

that was institutionalized

in our nation

in the south

in the 17th

18th

and 19th centuries.

Image bearers

of another race

deemed inferior

because of their race

were given

no choice

but were forcefully

taken from their homes

and then impressed

into the service

of men

who bought them.

do you know

why slavery

is wrong?

It fails

the love your neighbor

test.

Would you want

that done

to you?

No.

Slavery

in the United States

is a grievous

example

of institutionalized

sin

and let's

just be honest

the racism

that fueled it

it's not gone.

Now slavery

in the first century

Greco-Roman world

was a different

kind of slavery

than the slavery

in the United States.

Maybe a more

mild kind

of slavery

but it was slavery

nonetheless

because whenever

you limit

the rights

of another human being

there can be

gross

sinful

exploitation.

So don't hear me

saying

that I think

slavery was okay.

Paul never

says that.

But let me

explain why

Paul

here in Colossians

and Ephesians

and Ephilemon

and Peter

in 1 Peter

Titus

why they don't

come out

and say

we gotta

stop

slavery.

Remember

the book

of Colossians

was written

maybe 30

35 years

after the death

and resurrection

of Jesus

and so the church

is young.

It does not

exert huge

political influence

it does not

exert huge

economic

influence

and so the tact

that the apostle

Paul takes

in addressing

slavery

is not

to go

political

it's to go

local

household

by household

person

by person

bringing the gospel

of Jesus Christ

to bear

on individual

slaves

and individual

slave owners.

That's

why Philemon

was written.

So over time

what took place

is that slavery

in the Greco-Roman

world was turned

inside out

by people

who've been

changed by Christ

from the inside out.

So now

back in Colossians 3

when it comes to

slaves and masters

he's addressing

roles in the context

of work.

Slaves were in a

subordinate

work role.

Masters were in a

position of authority

concerning work.

So this morning

we're going to

take the principles

related to work

from what Paul

writes to slaves

in a subordinate

role

and apply it

to all of us

who are in a

subordinate role.

And what Paul

addresses to

masters in a

position of authority

we're going to

take it and apply

it to those of us

who are in a

position of authority

in our work.

If you've been

bought by the

blood of Jesus

you work for

Jesus now.

That's shot

through

this text.

So whatever

your role is

at work

whether it's

a subordinate

role

you're reporting

to someone

or a position

of authority

where people

are reporting

to you

whatever you do

you must be

serving the

Lord Christ

in it.

You do it

for him now.

So

starting in

22

we read

slaves

those in a

subordinate

role

obey in

everything

those who

are your

earthly

masters.

There are

three commands

to slaves

obey

out of fear

of the Lord

work

heartily

as unto

the Lord

and then

serve

the Lord

Christ

all aimed

at Jesus.

Obey

means to do

what you've been

told to do

and

these people

are being

told to

obey their

earthly

masters

in everything.

For us

that means

everything

defined in

our job

descriptions

and everything

in so far

as it

doesn't

cause us

to disobey

Jesus.

And you notice

who we're

to obey

those who

are your

earthly

masters.

In other

words

anyone

in a

position

of authority

that you

report to

at work

you're

to obey

them

in

everything.

That's

God's

will

right there.

Do you

have somebody

at work

that you

can

think of

that God

is calling

you to

obey them

in everything?

What Paul

then does

is shows

us how

to obey

them.

First

how not

to obey

them.

Not by

way of

eye service

as people

pleasers.

He knows

that when

our supervisors

tells us

to do

something

we'll be

tempted

to do

it just

for them

for their

eyes

only.

Furthermore

eye service

eyes

have you

ever

happened

to you?

It's

never

happened

to me.

Your boss

walks in

and catches

you in

the middle

of watching

the baby

shark song

challenge

on your

computer

and immediately

you click

it like

he or she

didn't see

that?

Eye service.

That's what

that is.

You're doing

it because

you're being

watched by

your boss.

And what

Paul says

here

that's

people

pleasing.

What we're

going to see

is when

you obey

your

supervisor

or your

company

just for

them

you are

cutting

God out

of the

equation.

we're

not just

to obey

our

earthly

supervisors

for our

earthly

supervisor

sake.

We're

to obey

them

out of

the fear

of the

Lord.

What we're

not to

do

and now

what we

are to

do

we're

to obey

with

sincerity

of heart

fearing

the Lord.

What does

Paul mean

by that?

Well that

word

sincerity

of

sincerity

of

heart

it's a

Greek

word

that

carries

the

sense

of

singularity

focus.

It's

more than

just

sincerely

obeying

your boss

when he

or she

tells you

to do

something.

It's

purposed

obedience.

And notice

the word

heart.

The heart

biblically

speaking is

the control

center of

your life.

The

mainspring

of your

being

and your

doing.

So whatever

controls your

heart

controls your

life.

So if you

are obeying

just for the

eyes of your

supervisor

you are a

people pleaser

suffering from

God amnesia.

We are to

obey those

earthly bosses

out of an

internal drive

of fearing

of fearing

the Lord.

Do you

see that?

Not by way

of eye

service as

people pleasers

but with

sincerity of

heart.

Fearing the

Lord.

The Lord

is Jesus.

All throughout

Colossians the

Lord is a

reference to

Jesus.

Colossians

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

starting in

verse 15.

It's Jesus

who is the

Lord of

creation.

The creator

and it's

Jesus who is

the Lord of

redemption.

The one who

has purchased

our salvation.

We are to

obey out of

fear of him.

And what it

means to be

fearful of him

is that we

take him

seriously.

He is our

all in all.

He controls

what we do.

Another way to

think about it

is like this.

Let's say you are

going to work

and you are

going to drive

by a gas

station to

fill up.

Not only do

you have to

fill up your

tank and your

car.

You have to

fill up your

heart and how

you are going

to obey your

boss that

day.

You can

pull out

one of those

things that you

put in the

tank and fill

up with

people pleasing

or you can

fill up with

fearing Jesus

having a

glorious view

of him.

We are not

to people

please.

We are to

fear the

Lord.

Lord.

If you are

in a

subordinate

role at

work, God

is calling

you to

obey your

earthly

supervisors

not for

their own

sake but

out of an

internal

commitment of

taking Jesus

seriously.

That he is

your all in

all.

It changes

the way that

you work

because you are

working for

Jesus now.

in this

little passage

there is a

contrast between

earthly masters

and the

Lord Jesus.

Earthly

masters,

they are

earthly in

that they are

temporary,

limited,

and imperfect

but Jesus

is your

forever

master,

unlimited,

and perfect.

He is the

one that you

work for.

There is also

a contrast

between how

you obey

whether it is

externally

motivated from

the eyes of

your earthly

boss or

internally

motivated out

of fear of

your Jesus.

And what

Paul is

saying,

serve,

work,

obey out

of the

fear of

Jesus.

Now can I

just tell you

not to do

something tomorrow

when you go

to work?

Don't walk

into your

boss's office

tomorrow and

declare something

like this.

Sir,

I'm going to

obey you

today,

not to

please you

but out

of fear

of the

Lord,

have a

great day.

That's not

what Paul

is saying.

We

obey our

masters,

earthly

masters,

out of

fear of

the Lord.

It's a

means to

an end.

Let your

actual

obedience to

your boss

shine like

a light

in a dark

place,

a refreshing

kingdom

presence

in a

toxic

place.

So when it

comes to

obeying your

earthly master,

tomorrow when

your boss

tells you

something to

do,

imagine

Jesus behind

him.

Imagine

Jesus behind

her.

and when

your boss

tells you

something to

do,

you're like,

you got it,

but in your

heart you're

saying,

yes,

Jesus,

I'm doing

it for you.

When you

take Jesus

seriously,

in obeying

your boss,

you're going to

find yourself

energized by

this,

by spiritual

strength.

You're going

to begin to

blossom where

you've been

planted because

you're living

for Jesus.

and you're

representing

him in

doing good

to your

boss.

Obey,

work.

Verse

23,

bond

servants,

whatever you

do, work

heartily as

for the

Lord and

not for

men.

Whatever

your boss

tells you

to do,

verse 22,

that,

verse 23,

you're to

work with

everything

you got.

Work in

the original

language of

Greek means

work.

It means

labor,

output,

effort,

applying

yourself to

what your

boss has

told you

to do,

even if

you don't

like it.

Whatever

you do.

It's kind

of a side.

Has anybody

seen the show

Dirty Jobs

with Mike

Rowe?

Oh,

it's one

of my

favorites.

If you

are feeling

overwhelmed by

your work

and like

this work

stinks,

just watch

a couple

episodes of

that and

you'll

realize you

got it

pretty good.

but that's

not going

to help you

blossom where

you've

planted.

What God

is calling

us to

is to

give

ourselves

to the

work

our bosses

tell us

to do.

And it's

going to be

marked by

pain and

strain.

There might

be some

hurts,

it's going

to be

hard,

there's going

to be

thorns and

thistles that

need to be

dealt with,

your obedient

work to

your boss

will cost

you pain

and strain,

it's not

going to

come easy

because we're

living under

the curse

still.

And you

might be

grumbling in

your heart

thinking,

you get a

task tomorrow

and you're

like,

they don't

pay me

enough to

do this.

And you

may be

right,

but ultimately

you're not

in it for

the money,

you're in

it for

Jesus,

to represent

him.

That doesn't

mean you

stay unnecessarily,

but that

means you do

give yourself

for him.

In verse

24,

he gives

a reason,

work heartily

knowing that

from the

Lord you

will receive

the inheritance

as your

reward.

God goes

on to tell

us why

we're to

work from

the heart

for the

Lord and

not men.

We got a

bonus coming.

When you

work for

the Lord

now,

you're not

in it for

an earthly

bonus,

you do

your work

in light of

an eternal

bonus,

your

inheritance.

And what

we're talking

about now,

this reward,

this bonus,

it's not

something that

Jesus has

promised

to give

you a

month out,

a month

bonus,

or an

end of

the year

bonus.

We're not

talking about

the 25

year wrist

watch or

little plaque

for faithful

service.

Jesus is

the one who

gives this

reward.

Do you see

that?

Knowing that

from the

Lord you

will receive

the inheritance

as your

reward.

Think about

it this

way.

Do you

think that

the risen

Christ,

when he

returns in

glory,

to establish

his reign

on earth

and it's

come time

to hand

out rewards,

do you

think that

he's going

to hand

out trinkets

that you

can lose

in drawers?

No!

He's going

to give

great reward.

We work

now to

the Lord

and we

have the

assurance

that we

will receive

on that

day a

reward from

the Lord.

He's aiming

us at

the end

of time.

That's

when we're

rewarded.

And you

know what

he's doing?

It rescues

us from

being ruled

by money.

Do you

know what

will help

you endure

the hardship

of your

work in

light of

this verse?

Read up

on your

eternal

inheritance.

Maybe the

best thing

you can

do.

If you're

wilting

at work,

maybe the

best thing

that you

can do

is open

your Bible

up to

Revelation

21 and

22 and

remember

what God

has planned

for you.

In those

two chapters,

we're given

a glimpse

of the most

glorious city

that will ever

exist on the

face of the

planet,

whether the

planet is in

its old state

now under

the curse or

when it's

made anew

when Jesus

comes back.

And the

most glorious

aspect of

this city,

the new

Jerusalem,

is of course

that Jesus

himself is

there.

You're going

to see him

face to

face.

You're going

to stand in

his very

presence.

You're going

to hear his

audible voice.

You're going

to feel his

embrace.

We're not

working for

mere men,

for earthly

bonuses.

We are

working now

as to the

Lord,

knowing he

will give us

a reward for

our faithfulness

to him on

that day,

and there's

no bonus

that compares

to that.

And when

you own

that,

and you're

living that

way day by

day,

guess what

happens?

You begin

to blossom

in your

workplace.

You're not

undone by

bonuses or

non-bonuses.

And despite

what people

say,

to be

heavenly

minded is

to be

earthly

good,

imagine

two men

six feet

in the

ground

digging a

hole to

lay a

coffin.

They work

for a

cemetery,

and their

backhoe is

broken.

So their

boss,

Jerry,

rudely

tells them

that they

need to

get this

hole dug

before 10

a.m.

or else

threat.

It's going

to be back

breaking work,

and they're

digging in the

hole together.

one of the

men digging

is bitter

and angry

and only

puts us

back into

it when

boss Jerry

comes around,

and when

boss Jerry

isn't there,

he complains,

they can't

pay me enough

to be doing

this.

We can see

who he's

living for.

But the

other man in

the hole,

who was

soundly

converted to

Christ in

prison four

years earlier,

he's thinking

to himself,

while he's in

that hole,

Jesus,

I'm in this

hole for you.

Thank you for

the work,

despite the

pain and the

strain.

And then his

mind goes to

his boss Jerry,

and instead of

being bitter

towards him,

he prays for

him.

Oh God,

Jerry seems to

be having a

hard day.

God, would you

bless him?

Would you help

me to be a

blessing to him?

Would you use

me, even in a

subordinate role,

to bless my

boss?

And if that

weren't enough,

as this brother

is digging,

praying, this

thought dawns on

him while he's

digging this

grave.

There are no

graves in the

new Jerusalem.

There are no

graves in the

new earth.

There are no

grave diggers

there, because

there's no

death there.

And all of a

sudden, you see a

brother in a

hole with his

mind set on

his eternal

reward.

Being a

blessing,

blossoming where

he's planted six

feet in a

hole.

As he's

thinking these

thoughts, he

laughs.

His bitter

co-worker says,

what's so funny?

The Christian

replies, I don't

know, I could

have had so much

joy digging a

grave.

And you know

what that bitter

worker would

ask?

How can you be

joyful in a

thing like this?

I work for

Jesus.

If you are

blood-bought, you

work for Jesus

now.

And you work

for Jesus,

mindful of the

reward waiting

for you.

Serve.

serve.

At the end of

verse 24, we

read, you are

serving the

Lord Christ.

This is, in

the English, it's

kind of weak.

It's a really

strong statement.

Literally, word for

word, from the

Greek, it would

read, the Lord

Christ you must be

serving.

It's emphatic.

It's about Jesus.

And you must be

serving him.

Think about this

command to serve

Christ with your

work.

Think about it as a

summary command, which

the apostle is making

sure that Christians

are prioritizing right

their masters.

the Lord Christ, you

say, serve.

Here's the point.

All the work we do

for our earthly

masters is to be

done for our

ultimate master,

Christ Jesus.

Paul is saying that

all work done is to

be done in service

to him.

What's interesting to

note is what Paul

doesn't do.

He doesn't

disconnect secular

work from sacred

work.

He doesn't

disconnect saying,

yeah, you serve

your masters,

earthly masters over

here, and then when

you come to church,

you can serve Jesus

over here.

He doesn't

disconnect them.

He integrates

them.

Work done for

earthly masters is

to be done as

service to Christ,

and it's a lifeline

for us all in our

workplaces.

All the work we do

for our earthly

bosses is to be

done as service

to Jesus.

Our culture has

driven a wedge

between the secular

and the sacred.

There's secular work

and there is sacred

work, but the

implication here is

that all work for

Christians is sacred

because it's done

unto Jesus.

one can make the

mistake of thinking

that a guy like me

serving as a pastor,

my work is sacred

work, and that the

work of a garbage

collector or an

investment banker or a

teacher or an air

plate pilot, they're

secular work.

work.

But that's not true

because Jesus is our

Lord and all of our

Lord.

We get to value all

types of work because

all types of work get

to serve Jesus now.

It's all sacred.

All our work is sacred.

Now, you could say

this, that the work that

you do, data entry,

cleaning rooms,

analyzing data,

listen to heartbeats,

you could say that all

the work that you do

now is an offering of

worship to the Lord

Jesus Christ.

And we just don't do

our work unto Christ.

We do our work as a

representative of Christ.

to do good to others.

Verse 25 is a really

interesting verse.

For the wrongdoer will

be paid back for the

wrong he has done, and

there is no partiality.

The same Jesus who

will reward those who

do their work for him,

the first part of 24,

Jesus will impartially

pay back those who do

the work of a wrongdoer.

It's a warning.

If you're in the room

and you're doing your

work and you're doing

it as a wrongdoer,

you're looking to not

bless people, but to

take advantage of people,

you're exploiting people,

you're exploiting your

work, you've got to hear

this.

The Lord Jesus himself

is going to hold you

accountable.

You've got the ultimate

job review at the end of

time.

But there's also a promise.

If you've been bought by

the blood of Jesus, he's

redeemed you from sin's

corruption.

He's restored you as his

image bearer to do good to

others, and if that's true

of you, you need not fear

this warning, but take heart

because the Lord sees.

If you're in a context right

now where you are being

wronged by another worker or

your supervisor, take heart.

Jesus sees and he will pay

them back impartially on the

day he rewards you.

In this section to

subordinate workers, we see

that we need to obey our

earthly masters out of fear

of the Lord, to work hard for

our earthly masters as to the

Lord, and we are to serve

Jesus with our work.

It's all about Jesus.

It changes the way that you

work.

When you were bought by the

blood of Jesus, he called you

to work for him.

As for masters in chapter 4,

verse 1, those in positions of

authority, what Paul is

referring to here is if you

have people reporting to you,

people you need to be

managing, whether that's one

person or a thousand people,

whether that's paid or

volunteer, you need to know

that God is very interested in

how you conduct yourself with

those people.

You have an opportunity to

represent Christ to them and to

do good to them.

If you're in a position of

authority, chances are you are

in a subordinate role too, that

you yourself are reporting to

someone else.

And Paul plays on that here.

Those in authority are

commanded to treat their

subordinates with justly and

fairly.

Do you see that in verse 1?

Justly and fairly.

Justly means to do what's

right.

You are to do right to those

who you have responsibility for

at work.

You are to do them right.

You are to treat them with

respect and dignity.

Don't use your position to

wrong them.

Use your position to bless

them, to right them.

Know their names.

Know their situations.

Know their strengths and

weaknesses.

Don't jump to conclusions if

something goes sideways.

But treat everybody with

respect and dignity.

And if you're wondering, hey,

can you just help me out?

How do I treat somebody

rightly?

It's the golden rule.

How would you want to be

treated?

Fairly means to be treated

with equity.

Fair pay for their work.

Fair expectations for the

performance.

Fair preparedness to get them

ready to do what they've called

to do and fair treatment of

them as another person.

If you're in a position of

authority, you are not more

valuable than they are because

you have a different position

or you have a greater pay.

You are equal in God's sight as

image bearers.

So treat them fairly.

If you're in a position of

authority, can I encourage you

to begin to pray for those who

report to you?

Pray for them by name.

I've got a friend.

He's a manager.

And when someone who is

working for him is out of

sorts, do you know what he

does?

He calls them into his office

and he prays for them.

He hasn't been turned down

yet.

He treats people fairly,

kindly, with dignity.

He loves them.

And look how Paul motivates

this.

Knowing that you also have a

master in heaven.

What a sober reminder.

The master language is

purposeful.

Paul is implying that though

someone may be an earthly

master, if they are blood

bought, they are a slave to

the Lord Jesus.

They have a master.

They must serve the Lord

Christ in their position out of

a subordination to Jesus.

That's who you are.

If you treat people the way

that you're being called to

treat people here with

justice and fairness and

dignity and kindness, you're

going to bloom where you're

planted and you're going to

stand out.

Managing people is hard.

So instead of coping with

the stress of managing

people by drinking in a way

or by entertaining in a way

or by sleeping around or

trying to get as much stuff

as you can, climb the ladder,

try to just cope with the

hardness of it, you get to

love Jesus through it.

It's for his sake.

You represent him by doing

good to those under your

authority.

Your work is holy work because

it's done unto Christ and he

will cause you to bloom where

you're planted.

So whether you were working as

a subordinate or working in a

position of authority, Christ

redeemed you with his blood to

work for him.

If you're a blood bought, you

work for Jesus now.

Now, we were created in God's