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Honoring God in the Workplace (Ephesians 6:5-9)
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Honoring God in the Workplace (Ephesians 6:5-9)
Ephesians: Growing in Christ
Sunday Message recorded 04 June 2023
by Associate Pastor Josh Shell
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
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Transcript
Opening Praise and Theme Introduction
00:00:06
Speaker
Man, I don't know how I could follow that up.
00:00:09
Speaker
Thank you, Aaron and Alyssa. We're so glad that you guys are back. And we're so excited about the work that y'all are doing there in Alaska. And I praise God for individuals like you, because I would last maybe 30 minutes in Alaska. So thank you all for being there. But seriously, though, y'all truly are an example for many, especially I think of our youth. As Victor eludes to, we're fixing to take our youth to go to camp this week. And we don't know what the Lord has in store there. But I know that the theme of the week is made in his image.
00:00:39
Speaker
Right? And so, praying over our students what that means for them and how the Lord desires to use them in His own image, and that's exactly what you guys are doing there, Alyssa and Aaron, is you're allowing the Lord to use you there. And so,
Sermon on Ephesians 6: Practical Christian Living
00:00:53
Speaker
just thank you so much. And I feel like it ties in so well, as Victor eluded to, with what we're going to be looking at this morning in Ephesians chapter 6. So, if you guys want to get your Bibles out, you want to open those up quickly, because it's almost, it's 9.34. And you guys know how I am?
00:01:10
Speaker
So we're going to try this. I was talking with Jane yesterday. I was like, today may be the shortest message I ever give, but it's still maybe 30 minutes. All right, so.
00:01:20
Speaker
All I have to say is that we're in Ephesians chapter 6, and we're looking at a passage that for all of us is very, very, very beneficial. It speaks very practically to us and how we are to live a life in full submission, not only to God, but to the authority and the institute that's been given over us, right? However, this is also one that's very hard.
00:01:42
Speaker
And I always, I want to give Victor a hard time because I feel like every time we come up on a passage like this, he's like, this is Josh's week to preach. All right, I'm just going to give it to him. So no, I'm just kidding. So anyway, I am excited about sharing this with you guys this morning. But before I get into that, there was one thing that I was going to share with you guys growing up.
00:02:03
Speaker
My dad, this is one thing that he said to me. There's a lot of different things he said to me, mainly because I was in trouble a lot. That stuck in my mind, but this particular thing that I was probably 12 when he said this to me. I was 16 to go out and play with my friends. He was allowing me to go.
00:02:22
Speaker
At the time we lived on an Air Force base and living on an Air Force base like for any of you guys who've been in the service, when you live on base it's like its own nation. It's pretty crazy. But with living on base I had a lot of freedom to go and do things without my dad watching over me all the time.
00:02:46
Speaker
This one particular day, I was fixing to go out with my friends. Again, I was a skateboarder. We were fixing to go skateboards. He was like, you know, son, be responsible, okay? Don't go skateboarding over there where they store all the military equipment, right? But he said, he's like,
00:03:00
Speaker
He said this to me though, he said, when you're in this house, how you act, I can control that, right? I can control how you act in this house. You can control how you act in this house as well. But as soon as you step out that front door and you go by yourself, you're no longer representing who you are, but rather you're representing the shell name.
00:03:22
Speaker
So when you go out there, you need to make sure you represent us, this family well. And that always stuck out to me. And it always sat in the back of my mind so that from that point forward, every time I went out to the community, though I may have been a
00:03:37
Speaker
You know, I'm trying to think of an appropriate word to use here. A stinker in the house, right? And causing my dad fits. I knew that as soon as I stepped out across that threshold, going out into the community that I needed to be
00:03:53
Speaker
on my best behavior to represent my family well.
Christian Identity and Workplace Conduct
00:03:57
Speaker
And I feel like this is a passage that Paul is giving to us here. And this is just one of many that we see in the New Testament. And ultimately, it's a theme throughout the entire scriptures of how will we step out into this world?
00:04:11
Speaker
As believers in Jesus, we are to remember the identity that we carry with us, that's in us, that's been dwelling inside of us the moment we receive Christ, and that is the identity of the Lord. And how we are to be the light into the darkness, the salt into the earth. It is no longer about us, but it's everything about God and how we interact with Him in this world. But this passage this morning, more particularly, is about how we interact with those in our workplace and how we honor God in the workplace.
00:04:42
Speaker
So, all I had to say, though, is that I was just going to read to you guys a couple other passages of scripture that kind of echo what we're really looking at in regards to how we are to be the image bearers of God into this world, into our communities, into our workplace. And we can see this in Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 through 13, where Paul once again is reminding the Philippian people, he says this, as therefore my beloved, as you've always obeyed, so now not only in my presence,
00:05:11
Speaker
But much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Not your good pleasure, but for his good pleasure. In Colossians chapter 2 verses 6 through 7,
00:05:30
Speaker
It says this, therefore as you receive Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught abounding in thanksgiving.
00:05:42
Speaker
Later on in that same letter of Colossians, chapter 3, verses 1-4, it says, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things of this earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
00:06:06
Speaker
And again, Colossians, this is such a rich book, in verses 22 through 24 of chapter 3 says, Bond servants, this is a sister passage to what we're looking at today, obey everything those who are your earthly masters, not by a way of eye service as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
00:06:28
Speaker
Whatever you do, work heartily. Ask 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.
00:06:42
Speaker
And the last one that I always love to go to is 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 13 through 17. It says, be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be the emperor or supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil or to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
00:07:08
Speaker
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God, honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the emperor. So again, this theme that we're gonna be looking at today in verses five through nine of chapter six of Ephesians is consistent throughout the entirety of the New Testament. And you can even see it back in the Old Testament, how we are to live in full submission to God's governing authority and how we interact with our brothers and sisters or the world.
00:07:37
Speaker
So will you guys read these verses with me in Ephesians chapter 6. It says, bond servants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart as you would Christ. Not by the way of I service as people pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with the good will as to the Lord and not to man.
00:08:05
Speaker
Knowing that whatever good anyone does, this you will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven and that there is no partiality with him.
Submission, Humility, and Respect
00:08:26
Speaker
You guys pray with me.
00:08:30
Speaker
Father, this is an incredibly important passage and an incredibly important theme that you give us throughout your entire scriptures of how we are to walk in submission, not only just to you, but to the authority in which you've instituted over us on this earth. Because, Father, the authority that we see on this earth is a reflection to the authority in which you have in heaven.
00:08:54
Speaker
And so Lord, how we choose to interact with it and how we choose to respond represents where our heart lies with you. Because Lord, if we truly love you and we truly want to walk in your ways, then we are gonna humble ourselves under your mighty hand and your authority in which you have given to us and in which you've placed over us. So I pray Father, if there is any pride, if there is any heart in here that is stubborn,
00:09:20
Speaker
or it feels like they know their way is better, I pray that you will humble us greatly. Because Lord, you've called us to walk in great humility in submission to your authority. So Lord, I pray that you just go before this time that you'll just have your way. It's in Jesus' name, amen.
00:09:39
Speaker
So there's a few things in this, in these verses that I want us to first pull out real quick when it comes to what Paul is actually, who Paul is addressing here in these verses. Because right away in verse five, the first word that we see here is bond service. Some translations may say slaves, right? But it says bond service, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling.
00:10:03
Speaker
Now, I want to address this. Who Paul is referring to here is not what we consider in the 19th century or later what slavery or what bond servants are. What we think of with slavery is harsh, bitter, and forced work. Yes, you guys get what I'm saying. But that's not what Paul is referring to here.
00:10:27
Speaker
In the first century, when Paul was writing this, this was a very common practice of people working for other individuals. This was not a forced labor work. Now, there were some cases where some people were put under work because they had to make up for some money or things like that. But in most cases, this was daily livelihood for them. So when Paul said the word bondservant or slave, their beacons didn't go off in their head like, ooh.
00:10:56
Speaker
Oh my goodness, right? Like we do today when you hear those words, but rather it was part of their daily life. This word that he uses here for bond serving in the degree is called doulas, which means one who gives himself up to another's will whose service is used by Christ and extending and advancing his cause among men. That changes the way you should see this word.
00:11:19
Speaker
And most common practices when it comes to a bond serviced slave, a lot of the times these bond servants were bond serviced to other Christians. And what's even crazier than that is that they were not just bond serviced to other Christians, but rather they were bond serviced to those in their own household.
00:11:36
Speaker
That's the common practice that was going on during this time. This was not a far-fetched idea. So in our society today, what these bond service or slaves would look like would be like contracted workers in today's society. Whether it was cooks, nannies, gardeners, the list can go on and on and on. These are the kinds of bond service that Paul was referring to.
00:12:00
Speaker
So again, so when we read this, we don't need to read this strictly as individuals who are being oppressed or forced into labor, but rather these are individuals who've either chosen to go into that so that they can be relieved of financial debt or whatever, or now there were some cases where they were forced into labor and forced into these hard situations. But most common cases though, this was not the case.
00:12:27
Speaker
So again, I just wanted to clarify that as we go through this with the context. The second thing I want us to see here is that Paul is also not supporting the idea of bond servants, okay? So parents don't be like, oh yeah, you messed up, you're gonna be my bond servant kid, okay? That's not how this works, okay? Paul's not endorsing or supporting the institution of slavery because what we see in 1 Corinthians 7, 21, he says, were you a bond servant when called?
00:12:55
Speaker
Do not be concerned about it, but if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of that opportunity. So he is an advocate for walking in freedom and not into a sense of servanthood. For after all, Christ came to set us free. So why would we then submit ourselves to a yoke of slavery?
00:13:17
Speaker
That's the theme that Paul is talking about here. Though it was common practice to have bond sermons or slaves, Paul is still encouraging them, hey, if you have every opportunity to become free, be free. For Christ has called us to be free. He has set us free. And then lastly, the third thing I want to hear is how these verses
00:13:39
Speaker
I don't want us to take these verses. I know the title of today's sermon is Honoring God in the Workplace, but I also want to see how this ties so beautifully back into verses one through four of this chapter.
00:13:51
Speaker
This is not, Paul doesn't just talk about children and parents or marriage and parenting, and then not as so, or he just makes this great break and then starts talking about the workplace. No, this is the heart and the spirit of what Paul was talking about with children and their parents and children obeying parents and parents and the husbands submitting to their wives and wives submitting to their husbands. It's the same spirit and the same heart that goes into these verses now, how we are to submit to one another in the workplace.
00:14:21
Speaker
After all, the reason why we as children to our parents submit to our parents is because God has given us parents as the authority in our life. And as followers of Jesus, we are to respect our authority, right? So yes, we're supposed to respect our parents. We're supposed to love them. We're supposed to submit to them and respect them. And the same thing as husbands and wives. But yet, when we go into the workplace, that same desire of honor or respect needs to continue.
00:14:47
Speaker
It doesn't stop just in the household. That's what my dad was trying to tell me whenever I was a little kid. He says, hey, the respect and the honor in which I desire from you as a son to a parent is the same honor and respect that you need to share and to demonstrate to those around you. Because through that honor and respect, it communicates value.
00:15:11
Speaker
And that's what Paul is addressing here in these verses. So let's work through them, okay? Verse five, it says, bond service, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, not with a heart that's about, not a workspace heart, not about trying to gain something, but rather out of a sincere heart of respect and honor. That's what he's referring to there when he talks about fear and trembling. He's not talking about fright.
00:15:37
Speaker
He's not saying that you need to submit to your masters out of fear in the sense of that you're afraid that they're going to harm you or that they're going to dishonor you or whatever the case may be. But rather he's saying, no, you need to honor your master in the same way that you honor Christ and work out your salvation and fear and trembling. You need to do it with honor and respect. You don't need to be disrespectful or disregard the authority that's been placed over you because you may not like the individual.
00:16:07
Speaker
Guess what, there's a lot of, I've had a lot of authority in my life that I did not like, but that does not justify me to lash out or disrespect him because I don't like him.
00:16:20
Speaker
But rather, we need to train our minds and our spirits and our hearts to understand that every institution, as Peter was talking about, every governing institution, every piece of authority in our life has been given to us and granted to that individual who's over us by God. God has the final authority over all things in this life. He is not surprised by who your boss is. He is not surprised by who your coworkers are or who is the next step above you in the workplace.
00:16:51
Speaker
But rather, God says, no, I have placed you there for a reason. And what is that reason? To honor God and to submit yourself to that governing authority.
Unity and Accountability in Faith
00:17:03
Speaker
Because through your submission and through your respect, you are not only creating a sense of value in that relationship, but rather you have an opportunity to demonstrate the love, the true love that is defined by great sacrifice.
00:17:20
Speaker
to those who you work with. For those of you guys who are in the workplace and you are a manager or you're over a group of individuals, is it better for you when an individual is disrespectful and they don't want to follow your authority or is it better for you when they submit? Exactly. Submission. Steven, he understands. He understands.
00:17:50
Speaker
It's a whole lot easier to work together and to complete the task at hand when everyone is on the same page, when everyone is unified in the same mind, in the same thought. But when you have disunity and tension or dissension among the workplace, you don't get anything done.
00:18:14
Speaker
And what it creates is this mind of it's about me versus about what's best for everyone. Okay, are you guys following along with this real quick? This is about the workplace, but hello, this is also for the church.
00:18:32
Speaker
Again, that's what I'm saying. This is a consistent theme. Paul's not taking a break here and he's like getting done talking about parenting and raising children and then like, oh, by the way, let's talk about the workplace for a second. No, it's the reason why this is put together is because it's in the same heart and the same spirit of how we are to submit.
00:18:52
Speaker
But he goes on and says, not by the way of I service as people pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ. So again, this idea is it's not about you. It's not about just making it through the day so that way you can get the next paycheck.
00:19:07
Speaker
It's so much more than that, it's got eternal purpose. That's why he says, as bondservants of Christ, as those, when you go back to that definition of a bondservant, right, of what due loss means, one who gives himself to another's will, whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men. As a bondservant of Christ, as one who is submitting himself to the final authority of Jesus,
00:19:34
Speaker
We are not to be those who work as eye service or as people pleasers, but doing the will of God from the heart. From the heart. We have a tendency of making it about us so much so that we lose where our heart needs to be focused.
00:20:05
Speaker
If you're a true believer of Jesus, your heart needs to be desiring that of Jesus and that of Christ and doing His will and allowing the fruit of the Spirit to be released out of you, to be the aroma of Christ. We need to humble ourselves.
00:20:29
Speaker
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. He gives us everything in this life for a reason, but yet He also calls us to submit to Him so that way He can give us what we actually need versus what we want. We all want to be in a place of authority. We all want to be the Lord over our own life. But however, it doesn't take much to look out in the world and see where that leads people. If you haven't seen it, it's called brokenness.
00:20:58
Speaker
But when you submit to God as the final authority, it is when you are a bondservant of Christ to do God's will from the heart, even during the hard times, you see so much fruit out of that labor. Again, it's not easy to go through the hard times, but through the power of the Spirit in you, you're able to push through it.
00:21:22
Speaker
And that's the same in the workplace as well. Verse 7, it says, Let me reread verse 8 there. Knowing that whatever good anyone does,
00:21:44
Speaker
This he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bond servant or is free. So again, this is not about what you can do to try to advance yourself.
00:21:55
Speaker
It tried to gain as much reward or money or whatever the case may be, but rather it's about what you can do for the will of God, knowing that at the end of the day, the work that you put forth, the effort that you put into your activity or whatever you're doing in the workplace is going to be received back in full reward from the Lord. Everything you do does not, everything is seen by God. It does not go unnoticed.
00:22:19
Speaker
whether it's a good action or a bad action. And at the end of the day, we're going to be responsible for our actions. We're going to be responsible for our actions and for every loose word that comes out of our mouth. So again, this is not just about your actions. This is about how you speak to one another and how you serve one another out of love. You're going to be held accountable for every loose word that comes out of your mouth.
00:22:47
Speaker
Think about that for a second. It's easy to, going back to being an eye-pleaser or a people-pleaser, it's easy to act one way in front of an individual, but as soon as they walk away and that mouth starts gibbering, I don't know if that's a word, but yeah, how you choose to speak about that individual when they're not in your presence, that determines the character of Christ in your life.
00:23:13
Speaker
that determines if the spirit is in you or if it's not in you. So we have to be very careful how we guard our hearts and our minds and our spirit and how we walk in the will of the Lord as not as I please just a man, but as bondservants of Christ in His will, in His way. Yeah, you see, this isn't a fun message, Victor. I'm just kidding.
00:23:42
Speaker
But this is profound for us because if we're all truly honest with ourselves right now, every single one of us in this room, I don't care if you're five years old all the way up to 92 years old, we have all been in this situation.
00:23:55
Speaker
whether it's you're at home and you're serving your family at home, or if you're actually in the workplace serving your manager or your boss, whatever the case may be. We have all been in this situation where we've been at the crossroads of how we choose to either be eye pleasers, people pleasers, or those who fear and honor God and serve out a true humility versus pride.
00:24:21
Speaker
goes on here to verse nine, it says, masters, do the same to them and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is their master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with them. So Paul doesn't just address the bond servants here, those who are working for a master, but rather he's talking to the master, the boss, the one in charge.
00:24:47
Speaker
He says, this is not just for the boss, this is for you. In other words, lead out in humility. Set an example for them to follow. So that way when they do come and work for you, they actually enjoy it and they want to serve with you, not for you, but with you, alongside you. So for all of us who are in those positions of leadership, heed Paul's warnings here.
00:25:16
Speaker
Masters, do the same to them and stop your threatening. How many of you guys have ever been in that position where you've been so frustrated with an employee, or with a partner, or with whoever, and you're just like, dude, if you look at Detroit, I swear. Listen, I've been there. I was a Wrangler at Pine Cove, working with horses. When summer staff did not listen to what I was saying, trust me, my blood was boiling.
00:25:42
Speaker
because I'm dealing with a thousand pound animal that's extremely unpredictable. And if they don't listen, they can put themselves or somebody else in danger. But in that moment, I have a reaction or a response of either threatening them or yelling at them or whatever, or I can use it as a moment of correction and of great humility, knowing that I was once in their position.
00:26:05
Speaker
learning how to work with those animals, learning how to keep your eye open in this situation so that you can keep yourself safe.
Leadership and Persistence in Faith
00:26:15
Speaker
Again, just because we have authority in our life or we're in a leadership position doesn't mean that we need to forget where we once were. Because at the end of the day, we are all broken. We are all sinful. We are all slaves to our sin. If it wasn't for the finished work of Jesus Christ and Him setting us free from our sin,
00:26:35
Speaker
We would not be able to experience the freedoms that we have today. So this is the reality of what it means for us to honor God in all that we do. In the workplace or outside of the workplace? In the church, outside of the church. In your home, outside of the home. This message is so much bigger than just in the workplace.
00:27:02
Speaker
So I pray that if you find yourself in a position where you are constantly nagging or if you're constantly being negative or pessimistic about something in the workplace or with a friend or with a partner or coworker or whatever, I pray that today that you will confess it.
00:27:19
Speaker
Confess it, repent of it, turn away from it and seek to honor God in that. If you need to go find that person that you're holding that bitterness towards, seek reconciliation today because if you don't, it's gonna eat you alive. And you're never gonna be able to experience a true healthy workplace or a true healthy relationship in that environment until you seek that reconciliation and that restoration.
00:27:45
Speaker
But again, it all starts right here in your heart. And if you're allowing the Spirit to truly humble yourself, this is the true sign of believers.
00:27:56
Speaker
And that's what Paul has been talking about so far all throughout this letter from chapter one until now. The first half of the letter, Paul was reminding us about the freedoms that we have in Christ and about the fact that we've been called, we've been predestined, we've been set apart, we've been given this free gift of holiness and Christ-likeness in Jesus. He was reminding us of this and how the only way that this is possible is through his finished work and through his death and through his burial, through his resurrection.
00:28:26
Speaker
And then he goes on to remind us from Chapter 3 all the way to the very end of how that practically applies to us. Yes, it's great to receive it, but guess what? It doesn't stop at just receiving the gift. As a result of receiving Jesus, you now practically apply it to your life as image bearers, as the hands and feet of Jesus, as the church.
00:28:51
Speaker
how we are to practically live Christ in this life so that we can advance His kingdom and His mission and His purpose. And again, that's why I'm so thankful for Aaron and Alyssa because that's what they're putting on full display right now and what so many of you in this church have put on full display throughout your lives.
00:29:12
Speaker
I pray that we'll continue to press on as Paul talks about, that we'll press on to the upper call in Christ Jesus. We have not arrived and we will never fully arrive in this life. Not until the day he calls us home and we hear those great words, well done, good and faithful servant. So may we strive for this together, may we strive to honor God in all that we do so that way at the end of the day, he receives the glory and not us. I'm gonna read,
00:29:42
Speaker
One last passage for us before we close. It's in 2 Corinthians 2, verses 14 through 17. Many of you guys know these verses, but it says this. It says, but thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession. What kind of procession? Triumphal procession.
Final Encouragement and Closing Prayer
00:30:05
Speaker
and through us spreads the fragrance of knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are also perishing.
00:30:19
Speaker
So in other words, to everyone. To one, a fragrance from death to death, to the other, a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not like so many pillars of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God and the side of God, we speak in Christ. May we be the aroma of Christ.
00:30:44
Speaker
May we share the fragrance of Christ through those around us in our workplace, in our homes, in our churches, in our community. May we fully submit to His authority and not to anyone else's. And out of submitting to His authority, submit to the authority in this world. Can we do that together? I'm right there with you. Trust me, I'm a prideful, prideful guy. So let's do it together. Let me pray for us and we'll go into a time of invitation.
00:31:13
Speaker
Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this morning and how blessed it's been. We thank you for Aaron and Alyssa, just the example which they set for us in fully submitting to your authority in the calling which you placed on their life. And I pray, Father, that through their example, many others in this place will also feel the call on their life to go to do the work in which you've called them to do, whether it's local or states or international.
00:31:40
Speaker
The Lord, I pray that though, I just pray that all of us in this room today, we will feel in our spirit, in our hearts, just the true weight of submitting to you, to you as our final authority, not to anyone else, and that we will humble ourselves to be servants in that regard. Lord, we love you, we praise you, we thank you again for this morning, and I pray that you just go before it. It's in Jesus' name, amen.
00:32:15
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church, located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.