Help! Series: Wrestling Work | Dr. John Ewart

Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Inglewood

Baptist Church here in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina.

Thank you for tuning in to the podcast today.

Today we're going to continue in our series called Help Searching

for God's peace with him, with one another, and with ourselves.

Listen closely to what God has to say to you today.

I just want to welcome everyone to do this episode of our series

called Help. Thank you for joining us.

If you're listening online, we appreciate you been hearing

comments from people who've been listening online as they work,

as they jog, as they shop, as they drive, as they travel and

appreciate that very much. And thank you for listening in.

And for those of you who are here live, this is an

interesting subject tonight because you might think if

you're retired that this really doesn't have anything to do with

you. And, and to be honest with you,

just the opposite is true. This might be as much for you as

it is for anyone entering the workforce.

We're going to talk about wrestling work tonight.

And it's a it's it's a more of an interesting subject than you

might know. And the next week we're going to

talk about managing money. And so don't let that throw you.

That's not me trying to get yours.

That's me trying to help you with yours, OK.

And so this isn't this. It's not really even is there'll

be a little bit of stewardship in there, obviously, because

that's part of it. But it's really not just about

that. It's really is about how do we

deal with this, this life thing called money that we all have to

deal with daily. And so, and in our economy

today, this is something we need some practical help on.

So so come back next time for that and listen to the next

episode for that. But, but I actually at the

seminary have taught a class called businesses missions.

I've mentioned that at times and it's an interesting class where

you, you know, it's a missions class, but it's a missions class

where we're talking about platforming often in places

either where you can't be a missionary legally or easily

from a visa standpoint, or it's just another way to support

yourself if you're a missionary and you're not necessarily with

a sending agency that pays for all of your expenses and salary

100%. And so we do everything in that

class from talk about new business startup to creating new

businesses. And so I, I've, I've worked over

the years, I was actually in a conversation in a home visit

today with one of our deacons and, and this subject matter

kind of came up with some of my consulting background.

And I've alluded to that a lot. I, I obviously have consulted

with churches, but I also have a background of consulting with

businesses and our military and, and both nonprofits and for

profit international companies. And so one of the things we did

in this process is we looked at how could we place people in

business overseas to serve, but also how could you start a, a, a

business to support yourself and or create a platform for

missionary service. And I say all that to say that

in that process and in that class, we talk about what we

would call a theology of work, which is not something that is

probably a common thought for a lot of people.

What is the theology, the doctrine of work, Right.

And so we're going to hit on that a little bit tonight, as

well as some practical ideas and, and even some fun ones, I

hope. And so that's what that's what

this will be about. There was a woman one day who

approached the pastor after the service and she was kind of

embarrassed, kind of sheepish, you know, with her head down.

And she just said, I, I, I hope you didn't take it personally,

pastor, when my husband walked out during your sermon and, and

the pastor, you know, looked at her and said, well, it was a

little bit disconcerting because it was obvious when he did that.

And she says, well, well, just understand.

It's not a reflection on you. Bob's been walking in asleep

ever since he was a child. So some of you, some of you,

some of you might think this really isn't a thing for me

tonight, but this really isn't. But this is a message you really

need to pay attention to. It's a message of a lot of

purpose because, because work may throw you off when we talk

about what it really is. So you know, some of you work in

an office, some of you work on a line, some of you work outside,

some of you work at home, some of you are retired from a career

and some of you are going to school as your job really right

now. And, and all those things are

important. But this is a message for all of

us, regardless of your background and, and regardless

of your current status, it really does transcend just the

job that you have, although we will talk about that.

But we all come from and have had a variety of jobs over the

years in a group this large. And, and, and so I know that we

come from various backgrounds. An interviewer was asking a

young man one time if he could handle a variety of work.

And the young man says, well, I ought to be able to.

I've had 12 different jobs in the last last six months.

So sorry I stumbled through that one.

But but yeah, so I pray that each of us wants to succeed,

whatever our current status is and, and what our current work

is. And we need to talk about that.

There's an old ad that says the first you don't succeed, then

you're probably not related to the boss.

And we need to recognize that in work, we do need to understand

what this idea is. So we want to start in Genesis

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2, as Jean alluded, Pastor Jean alluded to earlier.

And, and I just want to start you, you hopefully have a, a

listening guide, whether you're here, live with us, good to see

a good group here or whether you're listening online.

And in Genesis chapter 2, in the beginning, there was a perfect

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

existence and we don't want to miss that.

That's really important. That perfect existence actually

wraps itself in a lot of theology for me.

We'll talk later in the year. I mentioned I'm going to do some

apologetic work with you. We're in the conversation I was

having today, we were also describing the fact that we're

going to walk together later this year through a series where

we talked about what are primary doctrines we must believe in in

order to be a Christian, in order to be saved.

What are secondary doctrines in which we can have slightly

different viewpoints, but I'll still be in the same church and

work together. And then what are tertiary

points that shouldn't disrupt us as much?

But we're going to talk about some of that theological triage.

And this Genesis passage actually has a lot in it that I

wish I could unpack more for tonight, but we'll wait and do

some of that later. But in the beginning, there was

just this perfect existence. Let me just read a few verses

out of Genesis 2. We have a lot to cover tonight.

So I can't read the whole chapter, but it says when when

no Bush of the field was yet in the land.

So we're early on. And you know, we're still in the

creation story. No Bush was yet in the land and

no small plant of the field had yet sprung up for the Lord God

had not caused it to rain on the land and there was no man to

work the ground. So in that verse where before

Adam we still have we don't have man yet.

But you even see from the from before the time humanity was

created that there was a purpose of work for humanity and that he

was going to work the land. He was going to work the ground.

He was going to tend the garden. Going on to verse 15, then it

says the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of

Eden to work it and to keep it. And I'm going to come back to

that verse and breakdown some of those words.

And then verse 19, Now out of the ground, the Lord God had

formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens

and brought them to the man to see what He would call them.

And whatever the man called, every living creature, that was

its name. The man gave names to all

livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast

of the field. But for Adam, there was not

found to help her fit for him. So from the very beginning, from

even before the beginning, so to speak, of man, man was designed

to work. He was designed to perform

certain functions that had value and that never changes.

And this is what I want you to understand.

That doesn't change whether you're still in the middle of

your earthly vocational career or if you're in the latter years

of retirement, there's still work for you to do.

There's still purpose for you, purpose of value that that lends

itself to God's Kingdom and creation.

So we, we will keep hanging on to that.

We'll talk more about it. So we were always meant to work

and, and, and God also intended to be honest if it, believe it

or not, for man to enjoy by this thing called work.

And so in the beginning, it was a good thing.

In the beginning, it was an enjoyable thing.

It was a perfect thing in this existence that was there.

And so when we're walking with God and we're walking in his

will, our attitudes and our actions need to be right.

And our work should still be very pleasing to God and should

bring satisfaction to us. And we're going to talk about

that may seem an impossibility for some of you out in the

workforce right now in the middle of perhaps not the

funnest job. And so we're going to talk about

how do you endure that a little bit later too.

But it also means the same thing for us just in life.

And so Adam had work to do and there was no conflict involved

at this point. In fact, the way these verses

are written, when you go back to say verse 15 where he was to

work it and to keep it in this translation, the idea to work

was to or another translation would say to dress it.

And basically it meant to labor. It meant to till it can mean to

plow. So he's literally turning the

ground in order for things to grow.

And then this idea of taking care or keeping it would also

mean to, to preserve it or to guard it.

And you get an entire doctrine, which we're not going to go into

a whole lot tonight. It's a whole different subject

matter, but you get in a whole lot different doctrine of what

we would call creation care to where what is our role?

And and I'm I'm I'm not the greatest environmentalist in the

world, I got to admit to you, but but what is our role in

helping to maintain and to preserve the creation?

And what responsibility as believers do we have?

And those are good questions, not necessarily for tonight, but

we can certainly address those later.

But but these words were also, here's the part I want you to

get tonight in this episode. These same exact words in Hebrew

were also used in worship. These were actually words, words

used by the Levitical priests in their temple service.

And so these exact same terms were, were the words that they

use when they were serving in the Tabernacle and later in the

temple. And so the thought is this, and

and don't miss this, and I know this may seem weird to you and

I'll try to make the case for this as we progress.

But the idea is, is that work in its purest form is actually an

act of worship. Now your job may not feel like

worship, and I get that, and the career you left, just left

behind may not have felt like worship.

But I want us to understand this concept and let let me build on

it. Theologian John Stott once

described work this way. He said work is the expenditure

of energy, whether manual or mental or both in the service of

others, which brings fulfilment to the worker, benefit to the

community and glory to God. And you might not always think

of a work like that, work as service, work as worship to

where you really are benefiting other people by what you're

doing in your work. Again, that's whether or not

it's the job you're being paid for as a career or it's the work

that you need to be doing in retirement.

And you retirees hang on because I'm going to hit you pretty hard

later. I'm going to get you and that

recognize that that there's still work to be done and and

part of that is think about as you break this down.

It should bring fulfillment to us.

And the only way that's going to happen is if we have the right

attitude and perspective about it.

But it also ought to benefit others and the community and

also it ought to bring glory to God by the way we do it and our

motives for doing it. And we're going to kind of break

some all of those things down as you walk through this.

But but in this passage we see is man's man's charged with

exercising dominion over the garden.

He's naming the animals that he's tilling the ground.

And it was it was holy work. It was righteous work because he

was in the right relationship with the father.

And this was something the father wanted him to do.

This is something God the Creator designed for him to do.

Notice he didn't just plop Adam and Eve in the garden with

nothing to do there. They weren't just sitting there

staring it at the beautiful fruit and the and the animals.

They actually had, had responsibilities.

They had, they had duties to perform.

And and that's part of our created imagery.

That's part of who we are in God's image.

That's part and I'll, I'll prove that in a minute, but that's

also who we're supposed to be until we die.

This, this isn't just about the career you're that that may be

some of the work you do during that season of your life, but

this doesn't end that this never ends in the way that we're

supposed to serve him according to his will for us, his purpose

for each of us. Now, work was designed then to

serve God. It was designed to fulfill his

purpose for mankind. And so here we are.

We're not designed to just sit around and do nothing.

That's not our purpose. That's not the way we're

created. That's not a part, that's not

part of the design of who we're supposed to be.

So work helps us in a couple of ways works.

Work helps to define who we are. I mean, you often think about

this. What do you do for a living?

Or, or you might even introduce yourself.

Somebody says, who are you or, or what do you do for it?

And you say, well, I'm a blank. And you often describe the job

you had or the job you have. I'm a pastor or I'm a preacher

or, you know, I'm a whatever I am at that time in my past life

here, it's often, it was often difficult to describe exactly

what it was. And so, but we often use that as

part of our identity, good or bad.

But we often do that. But but the work we're supposed

to do is actually part of a sovereign plan that God has for

us. He has a personalized calling

and a personalized purpose for each one of us.

And your vocation during that season of life is can certainly

be a part of that. But it's not all of that.

That, that may be a way that you make a living or you make money

to provide for you to do the work that he really wants you to

do, which has nothing to do with what you're getting paid for.

It has nothing to do with what, what the job title is at the

company. It's much more than that and,

and even different than that. And we're going to expand upon

that as well. And, and, and, and of course our

jobs and the use of our time are all part of that personalized

calling, that personalized purpose that he has for you.

You've really got to think in terms of stewardship of life.

He's given you a life and he wants you to do certain things

in that life. And we pray and say, God, should

I take this job or should I take that job?

Or should I go to this school or should I go to that school or

should I study this or should I study that?

Depending upon the season that you're in.

But but beyond all that, who you are and what you're supposed to

do that that that job or that vocation can certainly be a

platform. Just like I was talking about

earlier with missionaries. They can give you a platform.

But but my real job, for example, let me just tell you

this story. Let me, I think I can tell this

story out loud. I think it's okay.

It's not one of those stories. So, but, but I had a student,

I'm going to be a little generic here.

There's some security questions in my head, but I had a student

who was a relative of a certain doughnut company.

I've, I've alluded to this to some of you before.

He a very famous doughnut company that some of you know,

started in this state and, and some of you like to eat.

They tend to melt in your mouth and don't have a lot of

substance to them. I think they're 99.9% sugar,

especially if you're microwave them.

But, but he, he was the nephew of a Grand Pooh ball of the

doughnut company. And he was in a class that I

taught like this and he was taking those doughnuts to a

certain East Asian, very large communist nation and introducing

them to the nation as a whole, which he has done.

And it has become a probably multi million to more business

in the process. But the real goal behind all of

that was to employ believers within that company in that very

difficult place to be 1. And so, so you have the job, the

vocation for which you're getting paid, but there's a much

bigger purpose going on, a much bigger idea that just, I'm, I'm,

I'm on the line working everyday doing whatever I do, which is

honorable and wonderful, But at the same time, that's not really

who you are. So your identity is much more

than just I'm a lawyer or I'm a doctor or I work, I work at the

Ford plant or, you know, whatever you, I'm a farmer or

whatever it is you do. And so our jobs and the use of

our time are part of this. But but some of you, some of you

praise the Lord, have the privilege of being set free from

earthly employment like that in a thing called retirement.

And now you have an even greater way to serve him with more time,

more freedom, and far more vigor and energy than you ever had in

your entire existence. I appreciated the, the, the, the

attempt at support. So work helps to define who we

are then then very practically, it also helps to deliver what we

need. I mean, that's a part of this,

isn't it? It, you know, we, we, we get

food, we get resources, we're able to provide for ourselves

and our families and others because we have a means to

produce a means to earn things along the way.

And, but these two are things that can be used in worship and,

and use for God's glory. Our resources, that stewardship

is also a part of the equation. You're not supposed to earn

resources just so that you can use them on yourself.

You're supposed to earn these resources so that you can

worship God with them and, and help his work and help others as

well. So, so here we are in Genesis 2.

All is well in the garden. Everything's great.

The fruit must have been perfect.

The vegetables must have been tasty and the lion and the lamb

are are snuggling together and everybody's happy.

He had a Adam had a great career and then something horrible,

horrible went wrong. So then we have to see this

tragic transformation that revolves around work, which is

why you all, some of you all grown and groaned at the

beginning when you hear the word work.

See grown everybody. Thank you very much appreciate

it. We need sound effects.

So so Genesis chapter 3 and we come in after the fall.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

So Adam and Eve have sinned and here's the one of those results,

some of the results of their sin, some of the results of

their fall beginning in verse 17, it says and to Adam, he

said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife.

I always thought that you know, there you go.

You know, he's I mean, you got to remember he's sinful now,

right? So he's so he's blaming other

people and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you.

You shall not eat of it. Cursed is the ground because of

you. Here's where we really picked

this up in pain. You shall eat of it all the days

of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall

bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the

field by the sweat of your face. You shall eat bread till you

return to the ground, for out of it you were taken, for you are

dust, and to dust you shall return.

And then in verse 23, therefore, the Lord sent him out from the

Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

But suddenly, tragically, work became something else.

It wasn't just an act of worship anymore.

It wasn't a wonderful, glorious, happy, joyful experience

anymore. It was a drudgery.

It was a it was a toil that took place.

And so sin brings this curse to Adam's heart and mind, but also

a curse to the ground. You now have weeds, you now have

thorns. You'll not have disease.

You'll now have everything else in the fallen creation that you

didn't have just before. Those things didn't exist.

And now in the fallenness of the creation, which itself groans,

we see that the work then results in this toil and labor

by the sweaty of the face, by the sweat of the brow, which is

what often we associate now with the word work.

I've got to go to work, you know, and, and it's not an act

of worship anymore. It's an act of survival and

drudgery in a fallen world. And so it becomes this twisted

thing. So sin spoils this pristine

relationship between man and his environment.

Everything is twisted. And so work becomes difficult,

work becomes a chore, work becomes a labor, you know, and,

and, and often something we dread.

So the key here is to think of this.

Instead of work serving God, we came to serve our work.

And, and that's kind of what happens.

We become servants to the work. And and and the problem with

that is, is that earthly work sent in that sinful state can

lead us away from God. It can actually lead us deeper

into sin. It can dictate our schedule.

It can take our lives away. It can dominate our spirits.

Work can be a real pain. Any amens?

Yeah, it can be a real pain. It can destroy families.

It can destroy marriages because it becomes a priority over

family or marriage. It can take a father or mother

away. It can compete with values.

It can exhaust you to the point of neglect of other obligations

to God. I have to work today.

I can't go to worship. I have to work today.

I can't do what God wants me to do.

I don't have the time or the energy or the money or whatever

it is. And so it actually becomes a

competing thing with God and to other services of God.

And so in the end, work can become an enemy of Shalom, which

is the goal of this series. It takes us away from peace,

away from completeness, away from satisfaction.

And so fear, shame, blame, separation from God all entered

into the original workplace because of sin and frankly

continues today. And so maybe you work or have

worked in a in a hostile, sinful environment in your in your

earthly career. Maybe you've had a lousy boss,

maybe you've had horrible Co workers.

Maybe that's just a part of your existence today.

Maybe you came tonight hoping you could escape that a little

bit. And so integrity can suffer,

immoral practices occur. Money can become more important

than people and purpose and, and we attempt to satisfy needs

often apart from God. And so it can become even an

idol that separates us from what its original purpose was.

And then, and then you're back into stress and anger and guilt

and, and fear and the other things that we've talked about

over these weeks. And so this is actually a

producer of some of these emotional and spiritual

reactions that we've talked about in past times.

And so we see that in fact Ecclesiastes, Solomon in his

wisdom said this in 6-7, Ecclesiastes 6-7 all the toil of

man, As for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.

And so no matter how hard you work, no matter how hard, it

never completely satisfies man. And so God, God can take our

mistakes, though, and God can cause good things to come out of

them. And So what, what do we do?

We're in the middle of this. We can't escape the fact that we

live in a sinful condition. We live in a sinful environment.

We're, we're going to be surrounded by sinful people.

We live in the fallen creation. So what are we going to do about

this? Well, Paul actually helps us.

So Paul writes to a church that was struggling with work, and he

clearly proclaims #3 he shares this clear expectation to the

church at Thessalonica, which was actually struggling with

this for some very odd reasons, but they were struggling with

the idea of work. And so in this in Second

2 Thessalonians 3 · chapter mention

Thessalonians chapter 3, let's look at verse 6.

We're going to skip a couple of verses, but look at verse 6.

Now we command you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in

idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you receive

from us. Well, we, we need to, we need

more than that. We need to understand what he's

saying. Look at verse 10.

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command.

If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

For we hear that some among you walking idleness, not busy at

work, but busy bodies. Now such persons we command and

encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly

and to earn their own living. As for you brothers, do not grow

weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we

say in this letter, take note of that person and have nothing to

do with him, that he may be ashamed.

Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

It's pretty serious, isn't it? It's like you got people who are

lazy and idle in the church. You're supposed to discipline

them. You're supposed to call

attention to this. You're, you're supposed to just

say stop it. This is not who we are supposed

to be. We're supposed to be productive.

We're supposed to be purposeful. We're supposed to to take care

of ourselves. So, so first of all, Paul simply

pretty well says work. That's what he says if you can

work, right? And so some scholars believe,

and it's always been an interesting, I've read this so

many times over the centuries I've been alive, that some

scholars believe that that in Thessalonica, these believers

were so preoccupied with the return of Christ that they

neglected their daily duties, their necessities of living.

And we're kind of and they were sponging off others.

That part's clear. They're sponging off others and

creating disruption. And some, some scholars actually

paint this because of the context of this, this entire

book and the other chapters that this really was related to the

second coming. It's like they're sitting up on

the hillside staring at the sky and not and not doing anything

but expecting other people to provide for them while they go

sit and on the hillside staring at the sky.

Now, we're not certain about that because it really doesn't

say that in this text. So that that's, some scholars

believe that and I've seen many commentaries that will say that.

But we do know there was a serious problem here because

these are these are strong words.

These are strong words. I'll show you that in a minute.

These are stronger words in the original language and sometimes

the English will kind of present to us.

But these people weren't working, but they were still

expecting to be cared for. I don't know if you have you

ever heard such thing? People who are who who could

work. Now we're not talking about

people who can't work. We're talking about people who

could work and should work but weren't working but expected

everybody else take care of them.

I really we have that in our world today.

So Paul commands them to work. And those that refuse to work

were to be disciplined by the church.

It's interesting. Now, listen, you can understand

he's about as blunt as he can be in his language.

I mean, he means business. I mean, if all the things were

Paul's blunt in his language, and there's more than one time

when Paul's pretty blunt. This is a this is a pretty

strong passage. They were to withdraw fellowship

from the idol, from the lazy people.

OK. And, and they weren't only idol,

but but they were also expecting others to support them

financially by giving them food and other supplies.

And so this word doesn't just mean lazy.

The word idle here is a strong word.

It actually means undisciplined and disorderly.

So they're, they're far more than, they're not just sitting

around quietly about this, they're actually causing

trouble. And so the word is actually used

in the Septuagint when it refers to a disorderly mob.

And, and this word can actually mean chaos.

They're causing chaos in the church by their laziness, by

their idleness, by their lack of, of production.

And so they were a burden to the rest of the congregation.

They're capable of supporting themselves, but they're looking

to others for support intentionally, deliberately

neglecting their own responsibilities.

And so if you don't work, you don't what you don't eat.

Now, gang, hang in there with me.

Buckle your seatbelts for a minute.

Watch your toes. Because this also applies to

church service. You know, if you're able to

serve in the church and to work in the church and you're just

sitting back and letting everybody else do it, shame on

you say your idol because that's not the purpose.

That's not what Ephesians says. We're all supposed to do our

part. The Bible says the body works

when every part does its share. And so if you can work and you

can serve and you're just sitting back and enjoying the

the proceeds and the fruit stop it work.

How was that that good? We OK, you are a Wednesday night

crowd. You all like that All right, so

and say that on a Sunday morning, half that section walks

out and I'm kidding. So everybody just turned off the

podcast. So hello, you're still there.

Hello. So, but this also applies to

school. If you're a student in here, we

have some young people in here might be going to college and

and those of you listening, this also applies to you as a

student. You need to be the best student.

That's work for you. That's, that's a job for you and

you need to apply yourself. And, and we'll talk more about

that in a minute. But, but if you're capable

feeding and serving and sitting back expecting everybody else to

do, to do that for them and, and sometimes criticizing probably

the way they do it because they were creating chaos.

They, they weren't just sitting there, they were creating a

problem in the church in Thessalonica.

And so if your primary career right now is, is that of a

student or, or that of a certain, a servant in the

church, you need to work hard to fulfill those obligations.

Don't be disorderly, don't be undisciplined because in, as he

says in this passage, it's actually a word play in the

original language, he said. Some of you, some of you are not

busy, you're just busy bodies. And, and these people, these

people didn't work in useful ways, but they did work in

useless ways. And so they were actively

causing problems as well. So it's not that these people

were inactive, but they were active and unproductive,

irresponsible, disruptive manner.

They were actually meddling in one another's affairs is kind of

what that wording means. And so they're sticking their

nose into everybody else's business.

So busy with busy with everybody else's problems, but failing to

take care of their own lives. I think I've known people like

that. Anybody ever any testimony?

No, maybe not. OK, we'll get those later.

And so Paul basically is just saying, especially in verse 12,

he's basically saying, why don't you just settle down and work?

So quit that and settle down and get busy about what you're

supposed to be doing. So instead of being fussy,

instead of being agitated, instead of being undisciplined,

you, you need to do what's right.

And, and I, you know, I think about this passage and, and I,

and I, I, I appreciate Paul in this passage because I often

think, you know, for example, in, in verse 13, as he says, As

for you, brothers, do not grow weary and doing good.

You know, it's always interesting to me.

I don't know about you, but, but, but in church life

especially, you know, people come up and this may shock you.

You know, those of you who are listening online, you need to

sit down wherever you are. And if you're jogging, stop.

I don't want you to have an accident.

If you're driving the car, be careful.

Those of you here, I'm glad you're sitting down because this

may shock you. But, but as a pastor, people

come up and have opinions. They want to tell me.

I know it's shocking and so, but I find it.

See if this is true in your life.

I always respect the opinions of those who are pitching in and

standing alongside working hard, rather than those who are just

sitting back and criticizing from the easy chairs.

Don't you? I mean, if you, if you're,

you're a servant really working hard, I'll sit down and I'll be

quiet and I want to listen because you, you know, I

appreciate you and I, I want to hear what you have to say.

And I very likely will learn something.

But I, I probably don't react as positively to the person who

just sits back and and critiques and doesn't actually pitch in

and help, you know, so, and that's probably you all too.

So, so we need to recognize I will be busy for the body, not a

busy body. Yeah, repeat that with me.

I will be busy for the body, but not a busy body.

That's right. Yeah, that's right.

We're going to pitch in. So, so work can become a good

thing to do again. That's that.

That's what I want you to grab. We can regain a piece of Eden,

we can regain a piece of our original created imagery.

We can regain a bit of our created purpose if we can see

work as something positive, as something that's beneficial, as

something that we can actually plug into and actually help

others. So it can become this act of

worship again. I don't care whether that's work

in the, in a, in an office or that's work as a retiree and

your volunteer service and what you're doing here at the church,

it's still work. And so, and so we can regain

this garden perspective, find a little bit of Shalom and, and,

and we can, we can be challenged to work for our and take care of

our own needs on the practical level for those who are out in

the place earning a living. But, but some, some honestly

can't do that. Some have lost their capability.

And, and we recognize that and we want to take care of you.

You know, if you, if you can't honestly work you, you, you've

reached that place in your life and where maybe you're

physically not able to do that. Well, we, we want to take care

of you. That's part of the church too.

And that's part of our work. Part of our work is to take care

of you. So, so we're not talking about

you at all. Thank you for allowing us the

privilege of helping you. But, but if you can, you better

because it's, it's, it's not about a vocation, it's about

purpose. Work is about purpose.

Why are we created? Why are we here?

And so in its purest form, it's an act of worship, just like an

Eden. So then Paul goes on and he even

shares a personal example. So in chapter 3, verse seven, he

says, for you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us

because we were not idle. Same word used here when we were

with you. Nor did we eat anyone's bread

without paying for it, but with toil and labor.

We worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of

you. It was not because we do not

have that right, but to give you in our but to give you in

ourselves as an example to imitate.

We wanted to be an example to you.

And so we want to be an example to others.

Whether you're working in an office, whether you're studying

at school, whether you're serving at the church, you know,

or you're volunteering some other place in the community, we

need to be an example to other people.

So Paul gave him examples and reasons to show why this

negative behavior in the church shouldn't be tolerated.

This idleness, this disruptiveness, this this, this

charity concept when you don't deserve that you don't need it

to sponge off of other people is not something that's worthy.

There's no excuse for a parasitic lifestyle unless you

just truly are unable to take care of yourself.

And so they knew he worked hard. They saw that.

In verse 9, he talks about that. We were an example.

Your translation might say model, and this word means to

strike an image. Like you're like you're casting

a coin, you're striking an image on a coin or, or you're putting

a signet ring and a piece of clay.

So you strike an image. It's an imprint, it's an

impression, it's a pattern to be imitated over and over again.

So so you're stamping something that can be repeated.

And so Christians need to develop a reputation for that

kind of model, that kind of example, that kind of reputation

and discipline in in the work, in the service that they're

providing, because it's an act of worship, it's an act of

discipleship, it's an act of obedience.

It it's reclaiming our original reason for breathing and

existing, right. In fact, in Colossians 323,

remember he says whatever you do, work heartily As for the

Lord and not just for men. So whatever we're doing, whether

it's what I'm getting paid to do or or what I'm doing out of of

love and service to him, to his church, to the community, to an

organization, you help what I'm doing to serve and to help.

I'm doing this as as a way to glorify him.

So the apostles were standing in sharp contrast to this

disorderly, undisciplined church membership.

And so these lazy, undisciplined people were not helping the

reputation of the church or or their families for that matter.

They they were hurting the reputation of Thessalonica.

They were not good examples. They were not good models.

They were not showing what we ought to be.

So they what they needed to abandon their own selfishness

and self focus and, and, and give me Gimme, Gimme, Gimme type

attitude and, and take on a God focus.

There are some who just seem to take on such a spirit of

victimization in our culture today.

And, and it's difficult at times and being in a tough job.

If you're out there in the workforce still and you have a

tough job, I appreciate it. I do, but it's still no excuse.

That's still not an excuse for us to be anything other than

what we're supposed to be in Christ.

And so it's not an excuse. And because Paul certainly

didn't have it easy. He made tense and worked hard at

it. And so, but, but, but God may

even put you, you got to recognize this.

God may even put you in the midst of adversity on purpose so

that you can be that model so that he can be glorified.

He might put you in the middle of a very difficult circumstance

with with horrible people, frankly, in order for you to

have influence upon them. And we can't overlook that.

And so challenges at work are not enemies.

They're they're opportunities. And I know that's difficult and

I know you, you might not like that, but we got to quit having

a give me spirit. We got to quit waiting to see

what others are going to do for us.

And, and we need to seek ways to do for them and to be an example

as we serve God. So you might say this is a hard

place to work. Well, that's why God put you

there. That's why God put you there.

These people don't know what they're doing, frankly, these

people are struggling with life and they need somebody right in

the middle of them who can tell them about how to live and, and

how to be saved and how to grow. And so that's why God sent you

there. And so don't don't ever overlook

that. And this is also why you retired

people are where you are. You're living where you're

living next to the people you live with, rubbing elbows with

people, enjoying hobbies, playing balls with Pickles and

things and, and whatnot. And because those are people who

need a model. Those people are people who need

you and, and, and, and need an example.

And hopefully you're serving your church or, or Christ in

other ways. And so listen to me, I'm going

to say a couple hard things here, but I mean these things

and you might not even agree with these things.

It's, it's just fine. Everybody has the right to be

wrong. So listen, listen, don't expect

appreciation from the secular folks you work with.

Don't expect that. Don't, don't expect to be filled

somehow by those people. See, appreciation is for

personal relationships. Have your personal relationships

on your own time. You got to find that someplace

else. Get a life and be affirmed at

home and at church and with friends.

Don't depend upon your secular workplace to give you that

that's not what it's designed for, that that maybe that's not

why you're even there, perhaps. And some people are so dependent

upon that. Stop trying to make your job do

something it was not created or supposed to do in the first

place. And so now, if you're the boss,

shame on you for creating that environment.

And you need to do your very best to create an affirming,

positive environment for your workers because you also need to

be a model from a whole different place on the flow

chart and need to help create the environment.

But stop going to work with a chip on your shoulder, upset

that they don't treat you right. How do you think lost people are

going to treat you? Satan's going to help them treat

you that way. Am I talking to anybody yet?

Yeah. Everybody got real quiet.

This section just left. That's good.

I mean, if you have to keep getting encouragement every

minute on your job, after a while, somebody else might just,

well, just take it over, do it themselves, you know?

And so be careful about what you're trying to make your

secular employment provide for. You get a life.

Be thankful to have purpose. Be thankful you have you have a

job because so many do not. And be an example and seek the

opportunity to change the atmosphere.

Be the one that creates a better environment, but don't let that

environment get inside of you. So do your job well, but don't

forget your mission. And making money is not your

mission. That's not why you were created.

It's not why you exist. So if you make money, you're, if

you make money, your mission, you, you're just going to get

frustrated because you're always going to believe you're not

getting paid enough. You're never going to get enough

to be satisfied. And so don't simply don't simply

sell yourself to the highest bidder in your life.

Money's not your God. So the primary reason God put

you in that place was not to receive revenue.

That that's an expectation. It's a real expectation, but he

puts you there to be a light. He puts you there to be a

witness, a testimony, an example, a model.

That's your real work. Now, did you understand what I

just did there? Your real work's not the job

you're doing. Your real work is to be an

example and a model and a light in that place of work that pays

you money. You following me and so we've

got to be careful what we think we're really here for and and if

you can do your job well in in the middle of a hostile

environment that that, that what a blessing.

Do your job well, that's a ministry.

If you can do it in a hostile environment, that's a double

ministry. But by sharing and praying and

through stewardship, if God blesses, you're going to bless

other people. Listen to what Paul wrote to the

Ephesians in Ephesians 428. Let the thief no longer steal,

but rather let him labor doing honest work with his own hands

so that he might have something to share with anyone in need.

And so why do you think God has blessed you with a job when

others don't have it? And so we need to be a testimony

by showing people that, that good attitude.

I, I, I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't brag on us much, but it was

really Teresa. So I'll brag on her.

So we're in the middle of all kinds of real estate nonsense.

And if you're in the real estate business, God bless you.

I love you. I'm glad I'm not.

And so we're thankful for people who, and we had a family friend

who's been helping us. We've known for a long time.

And but we were also working on a closing of our house in

Roseville, which we did a while back.

We no longer own a home in Roseville, praise the Lord, but

but in the closing, we had to go to the lawyer's office.

Every state's different. We've owned homes in multiple

states. Every single state's different.

As to how you close your house. Sometimes you have to sit right

across the the table from the new buyer, which I always

thought found that was a little awkward.

Yes, the door squeaks. Sorry.

Yes, we had a dog anyway, but it was just us and the lawyer.

And the lawyer was a, a good Presbyterian, I believe that's

what he said, right, Presbyterian, very pleasant,

pleasant young man. And afterwards we get an e-mail

from our realtor, who's an old family friend.

Actually, her husband was our son's football coach.

And we've known them for years and years and years and years

and years. And, and, and then the lawyer

actually said such and such came into my office.

And it was just so pleasant to be around some people who had a

positive attitude because we, you know, we, they knew and

what, who we were and what we're doing and why we're doing it.

And he was reacting to that. And, you know, and that's just a

little touch that day to that lawyer.

It encouraged him. He was very happy.

He would probably sit there and talk to us all day long.

I didn't want to do that. But anyway, so, but, but, but

attitude, even in the workplace, being on time, having integrity,

be a testimony, hang in there when times are tough and be that

testimony. And, and we're going to, we got

to see our work, whether it's in an office or it's in the church,

whether it's in pay or whether it's in retirement.

We've got to see our work as an opportunity for Kingdom

influence. So that that's just a place, a

platform for me to be in touch with people, people that I might

see. Some of you all get to do

things. You get to see people I never

get to see. And you and you can sit there

and say, we'll preach to the people I say you wouldn't want

to see. Well, I don't know.

I don't scare that easy. Most of them wouldn't want to

see me. That's kind of like some of you.

I appreciated you wanted me to be your neighbor in your

neighborhood. And I always laugh.

I'm so are you really sure you want the preacher to be your

neighbor? But anyway, so so but but you

are around people that I don't ever get to be around, you know,

people in the workplace, people, school, etcetera.

What a blessing, what an opportunity.

So what do your Co workers see and retired folks, what do your

neighbors see? What does your family see?

What are you doing with your time and your energy?

And frankly, your created purpose And part of your created

purpose was either. If you don't want to call it

work anymore, call IT service because it's the same thing

you're supposed to produce. You're supposed to help.

And so God calls each of us to work.

We all all have different kinds of jobs, different kinds of

roles. But remember, it's not the

nature of the work that makes it holy.

It's the nature of our relationship with God that makes

the difference. This is this is real thing.

You know, sometimes I try to say things that are funny.

I rarely succeed. But this, this is funny to me.

And it, it's not even supposed to be.

I, I was in a store Halloween one year at Walmart or somewhere

and there's a Superman costume and it actually has a, has a

disclaimer, a warning label. This costume will not enable

your children to fly because they had an image and had an

image of a kid on the label in the costume flying like

Superman. And so they have to give a

disclaimer. So you, you know, you know what

I'm saying? That's like a package of

fishhooks that say don't, don't eat these or don't swallow

these. That that's a true story too.

So, so, so he calls us to a higher work, a Kingdom work,

right. So, so listen to me and don't

throw anything yet. But there's no unemployment and

there's no retirement in Kingdom work.

There's a name for retirement. I'll get to that in a minute.

We'll call it corporate relocation, but but you're never

out of work with the Lord. Listen, I've had friends who

were shut insurance, 90 something year old shut

insurance who were not physically able to go.

They're not going to be able to work.

They're not, they can't move chairs, they can't, they can't

help load the food pantry. They can't do it.

But but they were my prayer partners and man, their work was

felt right. They still had Kingdom

influence, Kingdom impact. So there are things that we can

do even when we think we can't do anymore.

So you still have purpose or you wouldn't be here.

There's no such thing as spiritual looking.

When you're done, you're going to experience corporate

relocation. That's called death.

And until then, God's calling us to do something for him, to work

for him. And he seeks to hire you.

He, he wants you to work for Him.

Listen to what the Gospel of John says in verse 6.

It says, do not work for the food that perishes, but for the

food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will

give to you. For on him God the Father has

set his seal. Then they said to him, What must

we do to be doing the works of God?

And Jesus answered them, This is the work of God that you believe

in him whom He has sent. A chapter earlier in chapter 5,

verse 17, they were asking Jesus some questions and kind of

wondering about what he was doing.

And Jesus answered them, My Father is working until now and

I am working. So we serve a God who's at work.

That's His word, and we work in partnership with Him in His

image, and so our work is part of the stewardship and

responsibility of life toward God's creation and toward His

purpose. So once again, back in Genesis 1

and 2, to circle back in Genesis one and two, God gives work to

Adam and Eve as part of that image, bearing opportunity and

responsibility. That's part of who they were.

They weren't just going to sit around idly in the Garden of

Eden. The perfect existence included

service. And so we recognize that work

was good and we can contribute to God's work.

And God made the garden to where it's still think about this.

The garden still needed the work from Adam and Eve.

It wasn't imperfect, but it it, it was also in process.

And he used them in that process.

It was joyful act of worship, but then after the fall it

becomes difficult and painful, and it began to lean away from

God's original purpose. In fact, 11 scholar writes this

Since Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, they were

made with an inerrant capacity for and need to be engaged in

creative activity. When humans engage in creative,

meaningful work that grows out of relationships and gives back

to the community, they become more deeply human.

So part of who we're intended to be are people who create and who

work and who serve. Another scholar wrote it this

way. To dream of a workless paradise

is to seek something other than the purpose and plan of God.

So to think that we're just going to sit around and do

nothing is not even part of the scheme.

It's never been that part, which is why the imagery of heaven

sitting around strumming harps laying on clouds or something is

is absolutely cartoonish and fictitious.

So, so works good. It's good for the creation.

It was good for our neighbors, it was good for us.

And and work is what creatures do with God's creation.

So vocation is the way in which we make ourselves useful to

others. And so we're created and

mandated and gifted to do this work and we provide for

ourselves and we provide for our neighbors this way.

In fact, the only long think about the world in which I've

worked in for a long time is a world of of deep third, you

know, deep developing nation, deep poverty where people can't

scrape 2 pennies together to get a cent.

And the only long term solution to poverty is work beyond the

gospel. And so we recognize and we argue

that every Christ follower is a minister by virtue of his or her

relationship to God and the world around them.

Listen to Ephesians 4 again. I, therefore a prisoner for the

Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to

which you have been called. We each have a unique calling

and purpose in our life. And you may sit there and think

that has nothing to do with it. That has everything to do with

this. Your vocation has everything to

do with this. Why do you think I'm a pastor?

Why did you think I'm a seminary?

But those are vocations. But it's a part of my calling.

You're, you're no different. You're different in the sense

that you may not be in this role, but but it doesn't you're

the same. You have a calling, you have a

purpose. God wants you to.

My brother's a medical doctor and he and I have talked about

this over and over again. And he was going to be a medical

doctor before he was a believer. And I'll tell you the story of

his salvation at some point. But but for him to come to

Christ and he believes with all of his heart that his calling is

to he's also an elder in his church now and preaches some for

his church, which is an amazing thing for us.

But but, but he believes with all of his heart that his

calling is to be this medical Doctor Who helps people and

that's his. And he believes that hit that's

his calling as much as this is my calling.

Just as significant, just as important, just as vital, just

different. We're all different parts of the

body, but no part is insignificant if we believe that

we're Corinthians. Every part is important

regardless of what you're doing, but we need to do and so.

So we're created and we're all priests and, and we see this

ministry and this priesthood of believers.

We see the ministry of work. So again, we provide.

And so and so he says that we all have this unique calling.

And then you go to the Proverbs and you just get slammed upside

the head because the Proverbs will say stuff like this.

Proverbs 12/24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the

slothful will be put to forced labor.

That's Proverbs 12/24. Proverbs 1915 Slothfulness casts

into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.

Or you could look at Proverbs 31 at the virtuous woman in this

description of this incredible woman helping and leading in her

household and taking care of her family and the work that she

does. And she, she's not getting paid

for that in a sense, she's, she's not getting, that's not a,

that's not a vocational job with a salary.

That's, that's a role in a service, a beautiful one that

she's performing in the, in one of the highest levels of service

for her family. And then remember, as I said

earlier, Paul's a tent maker. But you know, we don't remember

Paul for his tents, right? I mean, he might have made, I, I

don't know, Paul. Paul made tents.

You know, there's a lot of description because of where he

was from that he, he probably made black tents out of a

certain goat skin that came from where, where he's originally

from. That's probably what he learned

to do. And so maybe he maybe he made

the most glorious goat skin tarsus tents you could ever

imagine. You see that anywhere in here.

Paul's not known for his tents. He was known for his service and

work beyond his vocation or even within his vocation because

there were times when people would gather and listen to him.

He was probably sewing the tent, teaching and and and sharing the

gospel at the same time. So think about that.

In fact, in First Corinthians Chapter 9, in a very long

1 Corinthians 9 · chapter mention

passage, let me just share this with you.

It's worth it, it says. Or is it only Barnabas and I who

have no right to refrain from working for a living, who serves

as a soldier at his own expense, who plants a vineyard without

eating any of its fruit, or who tends A flock without getting

some of the milk? Do I say these things on human

authority? Does the law?

Does the law not say the same? For it is written in the law of

Moses. You shall not muzzle an ox when

it treads out the grain. Is it for oxen that God is

concerned? Does He not certainly speak for

our sake? It was written for our sake,

because the plowman should plow and hope, and the thresher

threshing hope of sharing in the crop.

If we have sown spiritual things among you, it is it too much if

we reap material things from you, If others share this

rightful claim on you, do we do not we even more?

Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure

anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the

gospel of Christ. Do you?

Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple

service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at

the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?

In the same way the Lord commanded that those who

proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

But I've made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing

these things to secure any such provision.

For I would rather die than have anyone deprived me of my ground

for boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that

gives me no ground for boasting, For necessity is laid upon me.

Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

For if I do this in my own will, I have a reward.

But if not of my own will, I'm still entrusted with a

stewardship. What then is my reward?

That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of

charge. So as not to make full use of my

right in the gospel. So he's Speaking of his work

habits and how he worked so hard that no one could judge him for

his work habits. That they, they couldn't

criticize him that he wasn't a freeloader, that he wasn't, he

wasn't doing nothing and just sitting around preaching.

He was working and serving. And in the same way, just as he

wrote to the Thessalonicans, we ourselves need to make sure that

we're earning our way. So in 2nd Corinthians 11, he

says this. And when I was with you and I

was in need, I did not burden anyone.

For the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need.

So I refrained and I will refrain from burdening you in

any way or back in a second Thessalonians again to remind us

in verse 6. Now we command your brothers in

the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from

any brother who's walking and idleness, and not in accord with

the tradition that you received from us.

For you yourselves know how we ought, how you ought to imitate

us, because we were not idle and we were with you, nor did we eat

anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor

we work night and day that we might not be a burden to any of

you. It was not because we do not

have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to

imitate. For even when we were with you,

we would give you this command. If anyone's not willing to work,

let him not eat. Self supporting, not idle, but

our work is also limited. We've got to be careful and we

need to mention this. Humankind was also created by

God and like God to rest. And so work is not everything.

There are times when we need to rest for his glory and consider

what the Sabbath means to us in but but in First Corinthians 10,

as we've noticed before. So whether we eat or drink and

whatever we do, we do it to the glory of God.

And so we also rest for the glory of God when the time is

right. And so it's appropriate to take

time. And if we work for someone else,

we should work as if we were working for the Lord and not us.

And we should be thankful, as Wayne Grudem says the

theologian, we should be thankful to God for money and

profit, but we should never love money or profit.

We are to love God and our neighbor instead.

And so we recognize that there are higher principles involved

here. So work becomes a vehicle, work

becomes a mechanism, Work becomes a pathway to achieve

what we're really designed to do.

So our real work is the result. Our real work is the end game

that we're trying to get to. And and our vocations or our

retirement are just vehicles. They're they're enablers,

they're instruments. You've worked hard your whole

life. You saved up a little money.

You get to be retired now you're probably on maybe on a fixed

income. So things might not be, you

know, real loose. They're pretty tight, but you

still have time. What a resource time is that you

didn't have before to invest and God has given you the ability

now to invest even more. Or if you're still in the

workforce, you're still in school, you're still working for

somebody else for a paycheck. This is that's a vehicle that's

a that's a pathway for you to get to the real work of how can

I be an influence? But it.

But if you're the grumbling, mumbling, bumbling employee, if

you're the the gossiping backbiter slanderer in the break

room, if you're the one laughing at The Dirty jokes and and going

out and doing The Dirty things, we'll leave that there.

Fill in the blank then what example?

What model? You're missing the real point of

work. You might still take home a

paycheck, but but you're missing the point of work.

You're missing the whole, you're missing the whole idea here.

It's to produce fruit. Adam and Eve weren't just to

work the ground. They were to produce fruit.

They were to produce food that would come out of that ground

and we're to produce fruit. I am the vine.

You're just the branches. He who abides in me and I am him

bears much fruit. So that that's the whole game.

The game is not the game is not the the job.

It's not the 9:00 to 5:00. It's what does the 9:00 to 5:00

produce. Now you might be in the job

where you're actually producing a product that really helps

people. Well, that's a wonderful thing.

What a double blessing you have. So you're actually ministering

to people by the actual product you produce.

Or maybe what you produce is not something that is necessarily a

blessing to others. Maybe it's a necessity of some

kind. Wonderful, Thank you for that.

But then the work itself becomes a means to an end, and the end

is the real work. How can I be a blessing?

How can I challenge others? How can I work with others?

Right? And so Colossians 3 verse 23

Colossians 3:23

gives us a different version. Whatever you do, work heartily

is 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. And so one of the things we have

to recognize is that these things and the same thing will

be true somewhat in the next episode with money.

Money is a means to an end. Money is not a goal.

Money is a means to an end. Work is a means to an end, and

the end is the real work. And and so I hope that part of

what you get to died is the fact that work was created as an act

of worship and we need to reverse it back to that.

So when even, even if, even if I'm working in the worst place

for the worst amount of money, for the worst people in the

world who are just ugly, you got to recognize you're there on

mission and that the work may have nothing to do with the job.

It may have to do with the influence and the impact that

you can have. I have a friend who's South

Korean. It's one of the weirdest things

I've ever seen on the mission field.

Some of you who have served on the mission field maybe have

seen things that are odder than this.

He lives in Istanbul, Turkey. I was supposed to be in Istanbul

this last weekend in my previous life.

And so Doctor Aiken and others who were there, they're there

for historic graduation. They were texting me and sending

me pictures. But all I could think about was

my friend Peter Coe, who lives in Istanbul.

And he has a business platform and his business platform is a

golf driving range. And, and, and a long time ago, I

remember when Peter was just starting this, he, he, he

actually has a degree in, in biblical counselling.

And he also has a counselling ministry.

And so he has a counselling ministry at the driving range.

And I, and I, I, you know, he asked me early on, what do you

think about the idea of a golf driving range in Istanbul,

Turkey? And I have to admit that defied

my expertise. But Peter not only started this

ministry, but and, and, and, and incredibly successful.

He's, he's franchised, you know, who knew that golf, you know,

was, was ubiquitous in Turkey. And so he has a driving range

there and he has more than one now.

But then right by it in the, in the pro shop there, there's

counseling ministry going on. And biblical counseling was an

unknown thing there. And so the driving range, which

earns him money, the job has been earning a lot of money,

frankly. He's got other family members,

other He's had other friends from South Korea come over and

they're working with him now. He sends me newsletters on a

regular basis thanking me for my influence, for helping him start

the driving range. I write him back and I say,

well, a percentage of that can go to the John Ewart

Evangelistic Association. But so far the checks have not

rolled in. Maybe I'll get some Turkish

delight in the mail or something, but but that's the

job and it's a fun job, you know, nothing, Nothing morally

wrong with the driving range necessarily, I guess, you know.

But then he's over here being able to offer biblical

counselling for a low to no cost sliding scales.

What he tells me for people who would never have access, they

don't have that. You got to think about this is

Turkey, this is this is Islamic, this is not they don't have this

idea, this influence for both people within the the church

within Turkey and also for non believing Muslims who come there

and they don't get care like that anywhere else in their

country. And he's able to provide this at

low to no cost because he's got a driving range over here.

Isn't that amazing? So the work is not really the

work. The real work benefits and is

driven by the job. And so whether you're in the

workforce or you're retired now, I pray that you'll find purpose.

You'll find usefulness in, in the job, but also in the end

product of, of, of working and serving and, and, and glorifying

God as an act of worship. And, and, and again, this

applies to school. So go home and tell your kids.

I said you got to be good students because you need to be

the most respectful, the most diligent example, you might not

always be the straight A student.

Maybe maybe that's beyond your capacity.

Maybe you're not perfect in class, but but your behavior,

your attitude, your drive. What a testimony that becomes.

And I promise your teachers will remember you and they'll be

blessed by you because there will be those in class who are

idle, who are disorderly, who are chaotic, who are

disobedient, and they'll remember the testimony.

And then to be able to share why, why you act the way you do,

to show them that this is because I love Jesus and he

loves me. And to be able to share that

testimony with them, right? And so to think about how we can

influence people by our work. And then those of you who

retired again, your hobbies, your retirement, your yard work,

your church work. We need volunteers.

I mean, you're going to hear it again.

I mean Act 6 on Sunday. Y'all don't stand a chance this

week. How can I, how can I invest my

time and my energy to be a blessing to others and, and

working in the nursery or working in the children's world

or helping with, with ushers or helping with greeters or helping

in the in the many ways than many ministries we have here.

That work is wonderful and it's a blessing, but it's going to be

the fruit that's produced. So you're helping, you're

helping someone else pay attention.

You're helping someone not be distracted.

That single mom who doesn't stand a chance.

I'm telling you, we've had parents who've said to me, this

is the first time I've ever said in a Bible study by myself and

being able to listen because somebody's watching my child and

I trusted them. I believed in them.

It's it's incredible work, but the real work is what's going on

in her heart and her mind and she's being able to do that

right. So think about how you need to

invest both here and out there and then think about the

influence that you can be and sometimes you'll be persecuted

for it. They're, they're a mean, nasty

people and work forces out there who, who don't want, who don't

want you to be the good little Christian at work.

I get it. I know.

And they may mock you and they may give you a hard time, but

you recognize who stands with you and what he's going to do

for you and frankly to them. And so thank you for doing that.

Well, let's pray together. Father, what a joy it is to have

purpose. Father, you, you didn't just

make us nebulous little blobs and put us down on a planet with

no reason. Father, you created us in your

image, and you are a God who is at work.

You're creative, you're blessing, you're you're

redeeming, you're protecting, you're working, you're growing.

And so, Father, let us recognize that part of our image is to

join in that work. That's why we were designed the

way we are. And so, Father, forgive us when

we have bad attitudes toward our work.

Forgive us when we're lazy. Forgive us, Father, for being

idle. And Father, that's true of our

physical revenue stream, vocational job.

And that could also be true of our spiritual work, our

discipleship, and our service in the Kingdom.

And so, Father, I pray that you'll bring a spirit of

renewal. Help us to go into the

workforce, seeing it as an act of worship, difficult worship

place, perhaps a place when we may feel alone in our worship,

but a place where we can serve in such a way that we can be a

model and example and and eventually, Father, a testimony.

Lord, I pray that that as Paul prayed, prayed to the church at

Colossae, that the door or the window of the gospel would be

opened. And the fathers, we're showing

them that, Father, you would give us opportunities to share

with them what we believe and who we know.

And so, Father, let it be more than just actions.

Let it be words. And Father, I pray that you'll

help us to recognize that your body is only as strong as the

parts and that, Father, every single part matters.

And when one part hurts, the whole body hurts.

And when one part's lazy, the whole body suffers.

And the Father, together we need to work for your glory.

Father, it's like a ship that has many sails, and every one of

those sails serves a purpose. And if any one of those sails is

not, is not fur unfurled the right way.

If any one of those sails, Father, is not at the right

angle to catch the wind, the whole ship is ineffective.

The whole ship loses it's perfection.

Father, the churches that way. When just one little sail, we

might think we don't matter. We might think it doesn't matter

what I do. But Father help us to understand

that everybody matters. And if just one little sail is

is not inferred the right way or 1 little sails at the wrong

angle, we don't catch the wind, we don't catch your spirit the

way we're supposed to, and the entire ships effectiveness is

hurt. We're slowed down.

We might even turn the wrong way.

And so, Father, let us recognize that as a believer, we don't get

to live our own way. As a believer, we're part of a

corporate body. We're part of a family.

We're part of a Kingdom. And that, Father, that

corporateness means something. And Father, we have a corporate

responsibility to serve and to help one another.

And so, Father, bless us, bless us this week, Bless us as we

head into this weekend, Father, that you would give us time to

show and to model to others who we know and to whom we belong.

Thank you, Father, for your word.

Thank you, Father, for the Apostle Paul and the example he

is for us. Thank you that we would gather

together in this time to learn together.

And I pray you'll bless us, Father, in Christ's name, Amen.

Thank you all very much. God bless you all.

Thank you so much for listening today, and I also hope that

you'll go to [email protected]

as well as our app and find many other resources that will bless

you and your families. Thank you once again.