Titus | Week 7

Good morning, my friends. How are we?

Good, good, I love it. So good to hear from you all

Titus Chapter 2. If you have your Bibles, please

Titus 2 · chapter mention

to turn to Titus, Chapter 2. If you don't have your Bibles

Titus 2 · chapter mention

just take the one from your neighbor, they don't need it and

you can get a gift. So Titus Chapter 2, there's

Titus 2 · chapter mention

supposed to be a good Christian people and share, right?

So we'll just call it sharing. So far, what we've been doing in

Titus is just looking at the relationship between the gospel

and godliness and in Titus Chapter 2 it's been a zoomed-in.

Titus 2 · chapter mention

Look at what godliness is to look like he starts Paul starts

the instructions and Titus Chapter 2 with.

Titus 2 · chapter mention

But as for you, Titus teach what Accords with sound Doctrine,

teach what Accords with sound Doctrine.

And so what follows are, just instructions in God.

Godliness to various groups of people.

We saw instruction to older men and older women, younger men,

younger women. And then today, Paul turns his

attention to another group of people.

These people would have been called Bond, servants or slaves,

even in Crete. And so we're going to look at

Paul's instruction to them today.

So let's read Titus 2 verses 9 through 10 and then we'll I will

Titus 2:9–10

pray and we'll get started Bond. Servants are to be submissive to

their own masters and everything.

They are to be well, pleasing not argumentative, not

pilfering, but showing all good faith.

So that in everything they may Adorn, the doctrine of God, our

savior The truth that I want to lay before you today kind of a

big idea if you will, for the sermon.

Is this that Godly workers Adorn?

The gospel Godly workers, Adorn, the gospel.

If you're taking notes, I encourage you to to write that

down, we're going to build on that as we go today, Godly

workers Adorn the gospel. Let me pray for us now.

As we've got God's word to open and we're going to look at it

together. Heavenly father, would you be

with us now? I pray.

Father, and ask that you would Grant to us the Nation of your

spirits that your spirit would help us to understand your word

words that are breathed out by you that are pinned here by your

Apostles or those who were near to them.

Father, we ask that you would help us to see it though as it

truly is the very word of God and that it would call a slore

to faithful living today. Father, we pray that as we go

through this work, as we go through this letter as we go

through even these A couple of verses today that you would

reveal to us anywhere in our lives.

Father, that we are not living in accordance with your word

that you would draw us to repentance Lord.

That you would instruct us today that we might live rightly for

you. And we praise you again for your

word. We thank you that we have it

today. For our guidance, for our

instruction, and wisdom, and all salvation and all godliness in

Christ's name, I pray. Amen.

Amen. So We've got to start with this

question. What is a bond servant in Crete?

What are these people who are called bondservants?

Well, the Greek word that is used here is the word that we've

actually seen once already in this letters, the Greek word,

doulos, everybody say doulos. All right, so do those means

slave due to a limited Greek vocabulary Bible and translators

have done their due diligence. Agents and they seek to

translate the word according to the context of its usage.

How is it used in any given passage determines whether or

not it receives? One of these three translations

either slave bondservant or servant.

It's a bond servant is a good translation for what we see

here. And I want to kind of explain

why. And I think that gives us a

launching Point into how we might think about this verse

today. So New Testament slavery, the

widespread in the Roman world. It's estimated that one out of

every two people would have been a bond.

Servant would have been a slave to someone in the Roman world.

But it was a Far Far Cry from the slavery that we see in the

Old Testament or even that of 19th century slavery, which was

in present our own country, what you see are people groups in the

Old Testament consistently many times.

This is real It's are captured and put into harsh slavery.

So you may think about the Israelites existing in harsh

slavery, a kind of captivity under the Egyptians in Exodus.

Now there are Old Testament laws that prevented after this after

they're let out of captivity, they're freed.

There were Old Testament laws which were written to against

this kind of brutal slavery. Now largely they exist because

owning right owning a person, violates the Imago Dei,

everybody know what the Imago Dei is.

It means that you're it's the doctrine of being created in the

image of God, you exist, all people exist in the image of

God. Amen.

God created us in his own image male and female, he created us.

And so humans, bear and imprints of their maker humans are made

in the image of God. They are to be highly valued,

they are not to be owned, the add on top of owning.

Someone also treating them in a harsh manner, treating them as

really worse than animals, many times in the Old Testament and

then the problem is only compounded, right?

It only becomes worse that person is then not only robbed

of their image bearing, but they're robbed of their freedom,

the robbed of what makes them unique. and so, in New Testament

times, Things had come under reform a bit, doulos is best

described as a bond servant. Now, Bond servant is a bit

different than a slave. Yes, you would have a master of

the master. Would have been the language.

That would have been used. Is that a master owns this Bond

servant? But this someone this Bond

servant is someone who is bound to serve his master for a

lengthy time. But they also might be able to

own property achieve some sort of social advancement.

They might even be released at some point or purchase their own

Freedom, either through their labor or other means that is not

to say that slavery. Even in the New Testament was a

good thing. It's just that it was more civil

if you will. It had more of a more modesty to

it. Slavery is though as John Stott

observes slavery is a form of Tyranny, even though some new

testament slave owners, he goes on to say may have been kind to

their slaves because they saw them as valuable Investments,

but the institution was still a denial of human personhood.

Start observes and this really is the problem with slavery.

It's a denial of human personhood.

Jesus nor Paul never outright condemned.

However, first century slavery. But what they did do was they

laid out the principles which undermined The institution of

slavery and eventually led to its demise that namely what they

laid out is that the gospel message transforms are ought to

transform the slave master relationship.

The book of Philemon is a wonderful example.

If you haven't read that, it's worth reading.

It's one chapter long, it's very short but it's a wonderful

example of how the slave master relationship is transformed by

those who are in Christ. In Galatians 3:26 what we read

Galatians 3:26

is that there is neither slave nor free for you are all one in

Christ, Jesus, and he's writing to those who are present in the

church there. So the slave and master have the

same Masters. The point Paul is trying to make

the slave and master, find a common master in Christ Jesus

and they were under his authority.

Amen. And so that informs then Paul

writes in the New Testament that informs in what this

relationship ought to look like. So Paul deals with this in

Galatians, he deals with in Colossians, it's dealt with in

first Timothy. It's dealt with here in Titus.

It's dealt with in many places because it was a very common

thing in first century Christianity.

But even if the slave doesn't have a believing Master, what

the slave enjoys, then is an inner freedom in Christ, which

transforms how he ought to think about his slavery.

And that's what Paul's getting at here in Titus.

One either way though, whether he has a believing Master, an

unbelieving Master the gospel. So transforms the slave master

relationship that slaves, and their masters would have been

present together in church services.

Worshiping God together. Now, this would have absolutely

turned the cultural ideas of slavery on its head.

Which is what we mean when we say that the gospel is

countercultural. It does this too many social

constructs, it flips them on their on their head.

So praise God, that we no longer have a society to this built

presently on slavery. At least nothing.

Like what we saw, what we see here in the New Testament, which

you see in the Old Testament are even what you saw in the 19th

century. Now I recognize that slavery,

still exists, such as labor camps and human Looking as to be

lamented, it's to be fought against.

But our American society, however, is sustained on the

backs of those who labor for wages.

Oftentimes, you're laboring for a boss or for a company, right?

You're laboring for someone who is employed you we call that

Employments. If the gospel should transform a

slaves outlook on slavery. Then how much more might it

transform? An employee's outlook on their

employment and that's what I want to get to today.

I want to talk to you about Godly workers, I think Paul

teaches here and in fact I think he says very explicitly that

Godly workers or Bond servants Adorn.

The gospel Godly workers Adorn. The gospel.

Let me talk to you about what this means.

I want to read to you again, our passage today.

So it's on our minds because I've just given you Bit of a

diatribe on first century slavery.

So let me draw us back to the passage here.

Tied US 29 through 10, bondservants are to be

submissive to their own masters and everything.

There were to be well, pleasing not argumentative argumentative,

not pilfering, but showing all good faith.

So that in everything, they may Adorn, the doctrine of God, our

savior So, let's talk about the doctrine of God, our savior, or

I'm going to condense that into one word.

The gospel. What does it mean to Adorn?

The gospel? This is the purpose of the

teaching, the teaching is meant to transform a life and then the

life is meant to live. In a complementary, way to the

message, which it has received. And so, your life, even in the

workplace, as we've seen earlier that the marriage relationship

should be defined by this church relationship should be defined

by the gospel. The way that Elders lead, a

church should be defined by the gospel.

Paul's relationship to Titus was defined by the gospel, the

gospel transforms our lives, and so it Must affect relationships,

it must affect the way we live. And so, in that way, it is

adorning. Now, the word adorned means to

make more attractive. It means to beautify something.

Christmas is coming kids. Do you know this two short

months? Remind your parents daily.

All right, I could strangle whoever does the marketing for

Amazon and Walmart, because we've been receiving the

catalogs and where those people who make our kids check the

mail. So guess what?

We couldn't hide them. And so, we've been here now, for

two weeks, you know, the different things that we want

for Christmas anyway. Christmas is coming in two short

months. But next month, the Jones family

Lord will and is going to we're going to pull out our Christmas

tree were November Christmas tree people.

We're going to put it together and we're going to fluff it.

Yes I know fake tree where those people don't judge us.

But we're not going to stop at fluffing the tree and putting it

together. That same evening.

It's been a tradition since I was a child and so I've carried

it into my own family that we will eat.

Good food. Will either put on a Christmas

movie or Christmas music and will decorate the tree with

lights and ornaments, both old and new again, that have been in

the family, since my dad was a child and the tree looks nice

beforehand. You know?

It's a green tree sitting. Aaron.

Okay, to look at. But we think it's beautifully.

Adorned once it's fully decorated, once the family

finishes, those touches and I get to climb on a ladder and put

the star on, right? It's beautifully.

Adorned in those moments. John Stott and his commentary

points out. This this idea about adorning,

he says the verb is used of arranging jewels in order to

display their beauty. It's moving Jewels around in

such a way or placing jewels in such a way that you can see

their beauty. He goes on to say the gospel is

a jewel. Right while a consistent,

Christian life is like the setting in which the gospel

jewel is displayed. So similar to the tree that

holds the lights and the ornaments, or a ring band, if

you will, that holds the stone that set on to it, your life is

meant to Adorn. The gospel message, it's meant

to beautify. It's meant to make it more.

Lovely people ought to be able to say by your life and I

believe he really is a Christian.

He says he is she says she is and by their life, it's

noticeable. True belief in the Gospel of

Jesus Christ. Always transforms one's

character believing in the gospel.

Truly does not come without without fruits.

It doesn't come without character transformation. is it

comes and you're here this and people's testimonies time and

again, once they came to know Christ as Savior once they Place

their faith in Jesus Christ, once they received Christ as

Lord That their appetites and desires begin to change the

words that previously just flowed out of their mouth, there

was a check and their Spirit about those things.

The things that they put into their mind or into their body,

there's a check in there, Spirit about those things, the activity

that they give themselves to. There's a There's a conviction

on those things. Life Changes.

I'm talking about people who haven't read all the commands of

God's word yet. Right?

Because this is what the spirit does.

The spirit Bears witness Paul says in Romans 8 that we are

children of God. If indeed we have received the

spirit of God it's going to Bear witness in US.

So, the spirit beautifies. The spirit beautifies within us,

the gospel message that we have received.

And so therefore it is noticeable by action.

And so for that reason, Paul begin this section with those

instructions, teach what Accords with sound Doctrine.

One of the things that Accords with sound Doctrine is

repentance and Faith. Here is Christ Jesus here.

How is how you've rebelled against Christ repent and

believe in Jesus, for the Forgiveness of your sin and the

salvation of your soul. That is sound Doctrine.

But Paul says, teach what Accords with it, that is a life

of godliness lived in response to having received the gospel by

faith. So, call them to repentance and

Faith. Yes, But also instruct them how

to live Godly lives. So let's examine the

characteristics that Paul lays out here for Godly workers.

I think there's three things. Paul says here, the first is

that Godly workers Adorn. The gospel by submitting to

Authority. Godly workers Adorn, the gospel

by submitting to Authority. And taught us to none Bond

servants are to be submissive to their own masters.

In everything. A running theme in Titus so far.

And coming up is God ordained Authority and the Christians,

right response to it. In chapter one, we have Paul

writing to Titus. His true son in the faith and

he's giving him instruction Tidus.

Is to listen to the apostolic authority of Paul.

The follow it to submit himself to these words because these are

the very words of God. We have the word of Elders to

the church. The church is to obey these

Elders, these Elders are to obey.

God. We have wives being submissive

to their own husbands. Which again, as we looked at

last week, means that husbands are to submit themselves to

Christ. Bondservants here submit to your

masters Next chapter in chapter 3, we receive this command that

the church is to submit to the rulers and authorities to submit

means to be or to become willing.

To submit to orders or wishes of those in authority over you.

It's, the pay attention to what's said and to buy those

over you to recognize, there is authority over us and to submit

ourselves to it. You see, God establishes order

and he expects his people to recognize this order to

understand these orders and to display Godly submission to the

authority over them. The proper authority over them.

This isn't the first time that we've seen doulas, as I

mentioned earlier, we saw it first in Paul's salutation, as

he begins the letter and Titus, 1 verse 1.

Titus 1:1

Paul a servant, a doulos of God, a slave of God, What Paul is

saying even to these Bond servants, who would have heard

verse one not weeks ago, like you have, but, moments ago, as

this was being read. What he's saying is that you

might be, you are a servant. You have an Earthly Master, but

even above that, you have a master in heaven.

As you're a slave to him, you're his servants.

And so, our ultimate Authority is God.

Now I want everyone in here to here, this that That's true

whether or not you are a Believer.

Your Authority is God. God will hold you accountable

whether or not you are a believer. he is the one that you

will answer to on the day of judgment that you will give an

account to He is your master because he is the creator of all

things and everything exists under his authority.

And so, Paul of the beginning of the letters, establishing this

Authority, that I am a slave to God.

And he's informing Christians that you are slaves to God.

And now bondservants though you have a Earthly master You are a

slave to God. What we understand as Christians

about spiritual slavery, right? The spiritual slavery to God, is

that it is spiritual Freedom. It is not bondage, and in fact,

we are spiritually free from the bondage of sin and death.

And so, we are slaves to the most high.

God, we are his servants. We were once bound to sin, but

by the grace of God, we are now free by the spirit.

And second Corinthians 3:17, we read this that where the spirit

2 Corinthians 3:17

of the Lord is there is freedom. If you have been reborn, if you

have been regenerated, that happened by the spirit of God.

Jesus says, in John, chapter 3, and the spirit of God is present

John 3 · chapter mention

in your life. According to Ephesians chapter 1

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

that he came to you, in belief Ephesians 1 verses 13 and 14.

Ephesians 1:13

So you have the spirit of God alive in you as a Believer and

so, therefore, you are free. Amen.

There ought to be more excitement but I'll take it.

You're free from sin and death. Sin.

And death has no, hold over your life.

You can live by the spirit of God.

This is what Paul is encouraging, the Romans with and

Romans six seven and eight that you were free.

You're no longer bound to the sin nature.

Live by the spirit, walk by the spirit over and again, he's

encouraging there. Romans 8:2 it says, for the law

Romans 8:2

of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus, from

the law of sin and death. So by the sacrifice of Christ,

by the presence of the holy spirit, in your life, you have

been set free from sin and death.

Amen. And this freedom in Christ which

is given to you by the spirit of God it's present in you.

It frees you from the bondage of sin and death and so you are now

free to live entirely for God who has redeemed you by his

Spirit. Through the sacrifice of his

son. So such freedom.

However, might have been a Temptation for these early

believers who were slaves to think that they are above in the

authority. You may sense similar Temptation

in your own life, that submission to Authority is not

for you any longer. But I tell you today, that the

presence of evil Authority does not mean that all authority is

evil. Just as One Bad Apple doesn't

pollute a whole tree. Amen.

God governs, his people through Authority both Godly and ungodly

Authority. Daniel, The Book of Daniel

confirms us that it is God who sets Kings and their places.

Both evil and good and Romans 9, we read that God raised up,

pharaoh to display his glory in the nation of Israel.

So God governs people through both ungodly and worldly

versions of authority evil Authority.

Godly workers are to recognize Authority in their workplaces

and to honor it by humble submission, Godly submission.

It likely goes without clarification but just to be

sure if your boss asks you to do something that violates God's

commands, then you must obey. God not man.

Amen. Some of you maybe have

experienced this in your workplace has been asked by

someone in authority to fudge a number to lie about something.

To hide an injury, leave work. Something.

But we must obey. God not man.

You do not submit yourself to ungodly Authority that seeks to

make you ungodly alongside them. Evil.

Even if it's going to cost you your job, you must submit

yourself to the Lord above man and so but when your boss on the

other hand ask you to do something that doesn't violate

your conscience before, God doesn't violate God's word at

all. Then your response is to do it

with glad submission, happy submission but because your work

life is not separated from your Christian life.

You are a Christian Workman, you are a Justin worker, you are a

Godly work. Colossians 3:23-24 says whatever

Colossians 3:23–24

you do. And this is actually I'll read

this again later, but this is actually in the passage in

Colossians that's geared to bondservants.

So this is in context Colossians 3:23-24 whatever you do.

Colossians 3:23–24

Work hard to lie 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.

Amen. And so by your Godly submission

in everything, which doesn't violate the commands of God to

Authority in the workplace. Working for God, not for men,

only you Adorn, the gospel, your adorning, the gospel, you're

making it Beautiful by your submissive Behavior attitude at

work. Amen.

Not a lot of a men's when you talk about submission.

So let's keep going. Godly workers.

The second thing, I think Paul lays out here is it Godly

workers Adorn. The gospel by a well pleasing

attitude. Titus 29 Bond servants are to be

well, pleasing, not argumentative minutes.

In the next few verses Paul uses positive and negative statements

positive and negative commands to make his point.

You are to be well, pleasing and not argumentative, you are not

to pilfer but show all good faith.

It's easier. If you have children, you can't

understand this. It's easier to just simply say,

don't do that, stop doing that. Why just stop.

All right, but it's always best. For godliness for maturity to

couple a do not with a. Here's what we do instead with

instruction right. Correction without instruction,

only breaks the will of a person we must be instructive.

It's true that we must know what not to do, but we must also know

what to replace those things with less, we walk around in

defeat and not knowing what we are to be doing, only to know

what we shouldn't do. So Godly workers should display

a well, pleasing attitude. They're not to be argumentative.

If you are struggling with submissiveness in your

workplace, it is likely that you have ventured into this area of

argumentation. To be argumentative, here means

to resist. Or to be heavily antagonistic to

the point of complete opposition.

Paul has a mind Rebellion, almost, and this kind of

behavior is not mere disagreements, which is

allowable for Godly workers. Godly workers are allowed to

disagree with their employers and even to talk through things,

that's not what Paul is saying. He's not saying you can't have

your own opinions. He's saying You must not be

argumentative. This kind of argumentation is

going out of your way to make like life difficult for those.

You work with or for those in authority over you and might be

to their face. It's very likely at least behind

their back. But it Bears repeating there may

be a god-ordained time to stand up for something which might

receive the incorrect label of your being argumentative.

But that's not what Paul has in view here.

Paul has in view here. Sinful argumentation.

That you are being rebellious, you're being in your being

spitefully antagonistic. Paul is addressing that kind of

miserable work behavior, that is easy to have.

When you work somewhere, you don't necessarily like, or enjoy

you. Go to work with a unhappy

ungrateful, heart each day and it shows in your body language.

It shows in the way that you behave with coworkers, or with

those customers, if you have customers or clients or whatever

it shows Everybody's gone through the fast food line or

the checkout line at Walmart. Ask the worker politely how's

your day and been vomited on with how awful the workplace is

how terrible life is. I'm not Not really making an

assessment about some of those people.

Some of those people going through, really difficult

situations. And so it's a great opportunity

to talk. I'm just saying this is the kind

of stuff that begins to spill out most of you have had

co-workers or if you don't have a co-worker who's been this way,

you're probably them, right? And so people are just kind of

avoiding you. It's like that crazy uncle and

every family, if you don't have a crazy, uncle in the family,

you are the crazy. Uncle in the family, right?

Or at least. The stats are in our favor that

you are. That's okay.

We welcome. Crazy uncle's here.

Also, well, pleasing though, on the other hand means to give

pleasure and satisfaction And what's interesting about the

word in the way it's used here, is that it means to do it at

times, even to a greater degree than usual.

So, one person goes out of their way, right?

To be argumentative, they're looking for reasons to argue,

they're looking for reasons to cause problems, this person,

that Paul saying you should be at work is well, pleasing.

That's someone who goes out of their way, looking for ways to

bring pleasure into the workplace.

It's interesting, it's a great contrast that Paul lays out

here. It doesn't take Grand gifts,

right? Showing up on Friday, every

Friday with a box of donuts, though.

If you want to do that, do it. But it doesn't take that, it

doesn't even take becoming a workaholic which I think many of

us have lied to ourselves. And so, this is what it takes to

be a well-pleasing employees. That we must work ourselves to

death. This is not.

What's this is not what Paul is laying out.

In high school, I worked for a guy who if he caught you

standing around. He would make statements like

when you get done holding the counter down.

How about you go clean? Those glass cases over there?

Or after you're finished resting, I want you to go dust

the shelves. It didn't take but like one two,

maybe three because I was a teenage boy who knows, is

probably 15. Then take many in my mind to

finally, catch the drift that like, hey, don't stand around.

You idiot, get to work right? Get busy doing something.

I'm talking like day one having no training yet.

That's the kind of stuff you're getting.

And so after a few embarrassing exchanges, I learned to not

stand still. If there was a lull in the

action, you get busy restock shelves, you clean glasses, you

do things. but what was interesting is that would bring

compliments rather than criticism whatever the Lord

grants you to do. Do it with your best effort.

Work. Diligently as unto the Lord.

And not toward man only, it's Jesus.

Whom you are serving. If you are a Christian worker,

you were doing your work unto the Lord himself.

He has granted you the ability to make wealth to make a living.

You like, oh, I'm not wealthy, I don't mean wealth wealthy.

I just mean to make a living. He's granted you the ability to

do that and so every job we do whether we like it or not.

We need to understand. This is a gift from the Lord and

so we enter into it with joy. and we work hard, we want to be

faithful to the Lord in this work children, if you have

chores at home, Jones kids ever listen for sure right, I'll see

you Wells. Got you.

If you're given chores at home and mommy and daddy, say, hey

it's time to do our chores today or have you done your chores.

The answer is not. We get that at our house, I

don't know. Maybe y'all don't.

All right. This is a work that the Lord has

given you through the authority over you which is your parents

and your to be submissive your to listen or to obey your mommy

and daddy. Amen.

Taking out the trash is not sinful, okay?

It might feel that way. It's not sinful, it's obeying

the Lord. And so in every work that we

enter into, we say, I am obeying God above everything else, and

I'm going to work my rear end off for his glory.

My men will be faithful to the Lord in your workplace.

You can do that by displaying a well pleasing attitude, and by

doing so, you become a Godly worker and you are adorning,

your beautifying, the gospel, which you've received But the

final thing I want to show you is 210 Godly workers Adorn.

The gospel by showing all good faith.

Godly workers Adorn. The gospel by showing all good

faith. Not pilfering, but showing all

good faith. So that in everything, you may

Adorn, the doctrine of God, our savior Pilfering means to hold

something back for yourself which is really nice way to say

you're a thief. Pilfering means that you are a

thief. It's the idea of embezzlement or

petty theft a great biblical example, where the same Greek

word is used as in Acts chapter 5, there's a couple by the name

Acts 5 · chapter mention

of ananias and Sapphira who had sold in those early days.

Many of the Believers, especially the wealthy ones were

selling properties. They were selling extra things

giving it to the mission of the church.

So that those who were in need wouldn't have need any longer

Ananias and Sapphira, fit the bill, they sell a piece of

property. And all they had to do.

All they had to do was say here's what we sold it for.

Here's what we're giving to the church and everything was fine.

There was no instruction in the New Testament.

There's no instructions says You must give everything to the

church. It's just be generous time and

time again. But do you know what ananias and

Sapphira did? They held back.

They pilfered they lied then and said here's what we sold it for

and we're giving you all of that they lied.

Peter there is he's a confronting them about it says

that you are guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit.

This is one of the reasons, it's one of our proof text for saying

that the holy spirit is one of the three Persons Of God, is

that he can be lied to. And so they pilfered and they

lied about it and God struck them down right there in that

place. So pilfering is the idea of

holding something back. It may involve money sure but I

bet most workplace pilfering doesn't involve money at all.

What do you bet? At least not in the sense that

I'm taking literal money. Cash Money dollars dollar dollar

bills in my hand, right? You can pill for your company's

resources. whether it be their tools, their accessories, their

supplies, I think the one thing that's likely, pilfered more

than anything else. And a company and buy one take a

stab at it time. Yeah.

There you go. You're tracking.

This is how we know we're doing a good job, Alan.

Everybody got that right time? You show up late you falsely

call in he leave early you take extended breaks.

I once worked in a factory where I learned something I did not

know before. I did not know it was humanly

possible for so many men to have irritable bowel syndrome.

There were more bathroom breaks, among a handful of guys.

Then, as humanly possible, they should have just wilted away

long ones too. It's gross, I know, but that's

pilfering. All right, it's pilfering.

There were pilfering, the company's time.

So Paul says, do not instruct Bond servants.

Not to be pilfers. Do not take something that isn't

yours. Do not hold back more.

For yourself, especially if something that's not yours, it

belongs to your work place. Belongs to your employer but

instead show, all good. Faith showing all, good faith

means to prove by arguments now, that's interesting.

We're not to be argumentative, but we are to prove by our

Behavior. That we are a certain way you

can prove by arguments or action that you are reliable

trustworthy. Good for that specific task.

That you have been given in your workplace.

That's worth noting here. That faith has a double meaning

on one hand. It is trust for it is

trustworthy or reliable. On the other hand it has in

view, one's faith in Christ, so it's that you are faithful and

your workplace because you are faithful to Christ. you see what

I mean by go hand-in-hand, it's If we were to sum it up, we

might just call it Christian character.

Your faith in Jesus makes you value being trustworthy, being

Dependable, reliable in your workplace, whether you have a

role, the role at work that you want or not, you're not letting

that interfere with the fact that your commitments is to

Christ and so you will show all good faith.

Your boss will have confidence in you because you work

Faithfully. And so you are to be submissive

and everything. You are to be, well, pleasing,

you are to show all good faith. So then so that in everything,

you may Adorn, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Amen. We must approach.

Work is those who are servants to God.

I'm a slave to God and so, therefore, I enter into this

employment, understanding my place.

Colossians 3:22 through 24 Bond servants obey and everything

Colossians 3:22–24

those who are your Earthly Masters not by way of I service.

Just doing what is seen doing good when it's seen.

Not by way of people pleasing. But with sincerity of heart,

fearing the Lord. This is the key that Paul's

getting at here's teach what Accords with sound Doctrine.

Sound Doctrine, begins with the fear of the Lord.

I'm submitting myself to him, I'm reverent re reverently

obeying him and so I'm going to be a good Workman.

I'm going to work hard in my job.

Whatever you do verse 23, work heartily, as for the Lord, and

not for man. Knowing that from the Lord, you

will receive the inheritance as your reward, you were serving

the lord Christ. Again that comes from Colossians

3, addressing the very same issues are work then for

Earthly, Authority, bears, and eternal weight.

And this is what we need to understand today is Christians.

Our work for Earthly Authority Bears.

Eternal wait. Your workplace is a playing

field for Christian character, it's where it is.

To be observed. And so I have some questions

that I just want you to mole over in your heart and your

mind, maybe they're questions that you've been mulling over,

as we've gone through this, but let me bring it to bear on your

mind this morning. Do you bear the fruits of a

Christ follower in your workplace?

Now, this goes for this, goes for people who work in the home,

people who work in a workplace, people who don't have employment

yet at all. But are actively seeking it.

This is for everybody. Do you bear the fruit of a

Christ follower in your work? Follow-up question.

Is that one's not difficult enough to think through with

your fellow employees. Are those in authority over you.

Call you a submissive employee. Well, they say that.

You do what you're asked to do with a happy heart.

What they say that you are or are not argumentative.

They say that you are well, pleasing.

They say he's not a pilferer, would they accuse you of being

one? Who shows all good, faith.

All the things we need to do is let the spirit of God alive in

us, bring Redemption to our work.

By showing us that in everything.

We may Adorn, the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Especially in our workplaces. And so I encourage you, brothers

and sisters, boys and girls, and your chores.

Pray for the spirits help in working diligently, and

everything. As one who works for God and

not, for man, that you may Adorn, the Gospel of Jesus

Christ in your workplace. I said it at the beginning.

I want to remind you of it. Now Godly workers Adorn the

gospel. Amen.

It is my hope that New Life Community Church.

Would be filled with men and women and boys and girls who

approach work in a Godly way. What a testimony to the

transforming nature of the gospel of Christ.

That that person becomes a light for Christ in their work by

working hard the right way. When it be amazing.

If companies in our area started calling our church and saying do

you have any more like so? And so Because we want to hire.

That would be incredible. Want to pray for the spirits

help in this. Amen.

If there is any unbelievers here today, somebody who's not placed

their faith in Christ, Earthly, labor and toil.

Is nothing. Compared to what Christ endured

on the cross for you. Earthly labor and toil comes

with a certain burden. Sure.

But it's not the burden that you might feel over your sin.

And I want to tell you that Christ took on himself, all of

your sin. So that you might come to know

the Salvation that is found in God, your savior.

Jesus Christ, the son of God bore on his own.

Back, if you will. God's Wrath for your

unrighteousness. So that you may bear God's mercy

and his righteousness. If you will turn from your sins

today, And believe. In Christ Jesus as your savior

and you will be saved today. I encourage you to seek him.

If you have questions seek me out, I'm happy to answer them.

You stand to your feet this morning.

I want to pray for us. Heavenly Father, we praise you

that your word is good and great.

That your kindness is immeasurable toward us.

Lord, we thank you for work. We thank you that you've granted

to us Employments, the ability to make wealth and to bring

provision to our lives. God, help us.

Help us to Adorn, the gospel in our work.

That's as men and our jobs as women and our jobs. as young men

and young women growing into maybe seeking their careers

working even now, Boys and girls.

Students working on school work. These, these are your work for

us. Help us to do them.

Well, That by our hard work. We may Adorn the gospel of

Christ. And that in an opposite manner

of that, that by our lack of hard work or unwillingness to

work. God, we don't want to be we

don't want to bring shame to your name.

What's this message? And so we thank you that you

saved us from all sin. Even the sin of laziness or lack

of diligence and work. And that you strengthen us to

become the kind of men and women that you've called us to be.

And so we ask Lord that if we failed in these areas, reveal it

to us that we might repent and trust your Holy Spirit for the

strength. To work hardly as unto the Lord

and not, man. Father, may we glorify your name

and all that we say and do. In Christ.

Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

In Christ. Jesus name, I pray.

Amen.