God wants all of life to be sacred, including your employments. Dr. Tony Evans says when you invite God into your work, you gain the perspective and the power you've been missing. When you bring God to bear on work, you will be amazed at what God can do on the job. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr.
Tony Evans. Most people don't think of the workplace as a spiritual environment. But God does. Today, Dr. Evans explains how our attitude, integrity, and work ethic can reflect heaven's values no matter what job we do.
Let's join him as he continues his look at Ephesians, today showing how faithfulness at work is part of our calling as followers of Christ. Paul now wants to talk to believers. about what it means to be a Christian in the workplace. All of us, most of us, work day in and day out in some capacity. For some of us, it is a great joy.
For others of us, it is a daunting torment. Work was instituted before the fall, that is, before sin into the world, God. Had work. In fact, he himself worked. The Bible declares that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
That was his work. Not only did God do work on the first six days of creation. But he looked at his work and evaluated it and said it is good.
So he not only worked. But he evaluated his work. And not only did he work and evaluate his work, but... On the seventh day, he what? He rested.
Now, God didn't rest because he was tired. God rested because he was finished. The Sabbath day was set apart by God. As the day to enjoy one's labor. As the day is set aside to reflect back on God, who provides the opportunity for work, and to reflect on the productivity of work in one's labor.
God created Adam. And when he created him, the first thing he did was give him a job. He told him to tend the Garden of Eden. That meant work. Again, there was no sin in the world.
So that Work is a righteous and good and meaningful and positive thing as it was created by God. In fact, the angels work. In Isaiah 6, we see, with two wings they cover their face, with two wings they cover their feet, and with two wings they do fly. That is to carry out the will of God. Work is built in to God's.
Created order.
However, when Adam sinned... A lot of things were affected and one of the things that were affected was his work. God told Adam and Eve that because of their sin, The ground would be cursed. And so now... The only way the ground would produce was through the sweat of work.
So instead of work being a joy, period, it would become laborious, it would become labor-intensive, it would produce superiority. Sweat. To put it another way, when man fell, work fell with it. And God's original intention in giving Adam the responsibility of cultivating the garden. which was going to be a thoroughly enjoyable divinely assisted job.
was now going to turn into a great Crisis of survival. There is a great percentage of the curse of work. that can be removed when we have a divine perspective. There are eight brief observations I want to make. in chapter 6 verses 5 through verse 9.
He says First of all, slaves be obedient. to your masters according to the flesh. with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ. Your working relationships must have a spiritual perspective to them if you want heaven to join you on your job. God wants Christ.
and himself to be an integral part of your daily nine to five. He wants to be all involved in it. To put it another way, brothers and sisters, in order to have meaning and perspective on your job, God must be included. Or to say it even another way, God wants to go to work with you tomorrow. The quickest way to transform a job.
is to transform your perspective about the job. We'll talk about how to do that. That was one of the things about Sabbath day. Sabbath day was to reflect on God and to get reflected. oriented toward God as you went back out the next day to work.
So, my point is: stop working for your supervisor and start working for the Lord. Look at James 4.
Now I'll talk about what that means in a moment. But James 4. He brings this out in relationship to work. Very, very Clearly. In James chapter 4, he says, beginning in verse 13, come now you who say today or tomorrow we shall go to such and such a city, spend a year there, engage in business, that's work.
and make a profit, economic benefit. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But as it is you boast in your arrogance and all such boasting is evil When you work independently of God, you're evil.
That's what he says. When you dichotomize God from your job. That is evil. That is a Platonic view of life, and that is where there's a separation of sacred and secular. That's the easiest way to put it.
Whenever you have a dichotomy between sacred and secular, that is an evil breaking up of history. God wants all of life to be sacred, including your employment.
So Fundamentally, to start this discussion off, your attitude must be, when I go to work tomorrow, God is going with me. When you bring God to bear on work, you will be amazed at what God can do on the job. Or to put it another way, God is bigger than your corporation. All right, he is bigger than your corporation. I'll illustrate that for you in just a moment.
So First thing is look at your job spiritually, that is. As to the Lord. I am going to work tomorrow to serve Christ. That is the mindset. I am serving Christ in my employment.
Secondly. How do you serve Christ? You say, what do I practically do?
Well, number one. You must function obediently under your Master In this case you're Supervisor, your manager, whoever it is that you report to, work must be done obediently. He says that clearly in verse five: Be obedient to those who are your masters in the flesh. That is human headship. But remember, they're not ultimate headship because he says at the end of the verse, as to Christ.
Now, what does this mean as to Christ? It means simply that just like a wife is to obey her husband as long as her husband is not operating outside of the standards of Christ. Employee is to obey his or her employer, unless that employer is demanding that the employee does things that is outside or overrules the greater authority of Christ. To put it another way, If you are not obeying your employer and your employer is not asking you to do something wrong, and you are in rebellion against that employer, watch this now, you are in rebellion against Christ. Which means that you cannot go to Christ for help.
Obedience is demanded.
Now this raises a very practical question. But what happens if you don't like your job? Leave. Turn to 1 Corinthians 7. You didn't think I was going to say that without a verse, did you?
All right, 1 Corinthians 7. Look at verse 21. Were you called while a slave? Did you get saved as a slave? That's what that means.
Do not worry about it. But if you are able also to become free, rather do that. This is a very important verse. You know what he says? If you get saved and you are a slave, you don't like being a slave.
Then when the opportunity comes to change your status, change it.
So if you're working for a job.
Well, you have got to obey. But you don't want to obey for whatever reason. Then you must change jobs, and until you do, you must obey, unless what you're being told to obey seeks to overrule Christ.
So, God gives us a lot of freedom to shift our status. You don't have to stay where you are, nor should you stay where you are. He says, verse 22, for he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freeman. Likewise, he who is called while free is Christ's slave. What he's fundamentally saying is you belong to Christ now, and he overrules your destiny now.
The Bible says, well, If you're in a state. And you hate the state. then you look for the opportunity to be free from the state. You shift. What you don't do is rebel.
God hates the sin of rebellion.
Okay, he hates the sin of rebellion to legitimate authority. He hates it when children rebel against parents. He hates it when wives rebel against husbands, when husbands rebel against the authority of the church. He hates the sin of rebellion. You lose contact with Christ when you rebel against your head.
So don't pray, Lord, give me a better job if you're living in rebellion in the job you're in. You can only pray. to Christ. when you're responding properly to your authority. The chain of command.
Dr. Evans says how we serve under authority matters, but so does how we carry out that service. He'll outline what Christ-centered work looks like when he returns with part two of our message in just a moment. First, though, I wanted to let you know that the message you're hearing today is part of his 16-lesson series on the book of Ephesians called Ordinary Holy: Finding God in the Mundane. In this powerful collection, Tony explores how God often does his greatest spiritual work in the middle of our most ordinary moments, helping us see that even the routine rhythms of life can become sacred when surrendered to him.
If you missed any of this series or would like to dig deeper into the individual messages, you can download the complete two-volume set instantly. We'll also send it to you on CD or USB flash drive as our way of saying thanks for your generous support of Tony's work for families and individuals around the globe. And as an added way of saying thanks, And to help you grow even further, we'll also include his book, Kingdom Living: a practical, encouraging guide to building a stronger walk with God and learning to live out your identity in Christ. This special offer will only be available through tomorrow, so get all the details today at tonyevans.org or call our resource team at 1-800-800-3222. I'll repeat that contact information after part 2 of today's message.
Let's get back to Dr. Evans now in Ephesians chapter 6. To serve Christ on the job spiritually, you must be willing to work obediently. Thirdly, You must also do your work respectfully. Fully Respect.
Fully He says With Fear and trembling. It meant to hold in honor, revere. And this has nothing to do with whether you like them. This has to do with honoring a post. Look at 1 Timothy 6.
Verses one and two. Let all those who are under the yoke. As slaves regard their masters of worthy of all honor, so that the name of God. The name of God and our doctrine may not be spoken against. They shouldn't be able to say, I thought you said you were a Christian.
Recognize your supervisors, your managers, your owners. Position. Even if you don't like his person. Because now guess what you just did? You just brought God on the job.
Now you can talk to God about your job situation.
Next. Your work is to be done sincerely. Verse 6. not by way of eye service. as men pleasers, but again, as slaves to Christ doing the will of God for the heart.
Now man pleaser is one who works when the boss is there. Hello, tell the truth she ain't the devil. The boss is that you creating sweat. Just woo! Boy, so much work to do.
He says, work because God is watching your eight hour shift. God is watching your productivity. And God is watching. What you do when your boss is not there. We are not at work.
For men first. We're at work for Christ first. Fifthly, Work should be done diligently. With goodwill, verse 7. Render service as to the Lord, not to men.
That has to do with your diligence. Ecclesiastes 9.10 puts it this way. Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might. Romans 12:11 says, Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Colossians 3.23 says, do your work heartily.
You ought to go into your office with your chin up. You're cast out. It's safe. 8:30. Time to report in.
Let's get at it. Yeah. You go for it. Suppose I don't like it. That's not the point.
You're doing this for the Lord. Because you want response from the Lord. Right?
So you go for it. Sixthly. Work must be done expectantly. Expectantly. Here's a great promise, folks.
Verse eight, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord. And get this, whether slave or free.
Now you know what the good news is that? If you're an employee, You're at no disadvantage if you work for the Lord. Did you hear that? If you're an employee. Slave, worst kind of employee for that era.
You're at the bottom of the rung. of the latter you give it the best shot you can and then expect something from the Lord.
Now some of you are saying, but I don't think if I work that hard The boss is going to promote me. We're not talking about the boss now. I don't see the balls in verse 8. It says, this he will receive back from the Lord. Why?
Because whoever you work for is who pays you.
So, if you're working for the man or the woman at the office, then they'll pay you. If you're working for the Lord, he'll pay you.
So the question is, who are you going to work for tomorrow? That's the question. Who you going to work for? You're just going to work for that individual who supervises you? Then, yeah, they may or may not reward you.
You work for the Lord? Guess what the promise is? He says it will never go unnoticed. Work for the Lord. And expect something.
Expect that it won't go unnoticed. If you don't believe me, ask Joseph. He worked righteously. He worked honorably. And he got thrown in jail for it.
And it looked like To be honest, wasn't worth it. And sometimes it'll look like it. When you're giving your best on the job and nobody appreciates it, it'll look like nobody is seeing the good effort you're putting forth, but remember you're not working for them. You're working for the unseen employer. And if Joseph could testify tonight.
He'd tell you that he can take a little boy sold into slavery and throw him in prison and turn him into the second in command in Egypt. Daniel could tell you. who was righteous in his job and got fired. thrown in the lion's den. He can testify that God can take you.
Out of that corporate, in that corporate situation where the lions are trying to attack you. Shut their mouths. Get your enemies thrown into the pit and you get a promotion. He could testify to that. If you will be diligent in being spiritual about your employment through these ways we've explained.
Then God will lead you to your calling. He will direct you to where you're ultimately supposed to be. Seventhly, work is to be done. Mutually. Notice verse.
10. And masters do the same thing. Same thing as what? The same thing as you're asking your slaves to do. See, that's not the typical view of slavery.
Historical slavery, you don't tell the masters to do the same thing. What same thing? In other words, honor your slaves. Honor your employees. Don't threaten them and treat them like trash and treat them like they are beneath you.
Why? Because you have a master in heaven, he says. You under somebody too. And God who lifted you up?
Okay, show enough. Take you back down.
So what goes around what? Comes around.
So watch how you treat people under you, because the one above you. is going to let that determine how he treats you.
So treat your employees with dignity. Because they may be under you in position, but they're equal to you in person. They are still the image of God. They still have equal value before God.
So you do not cut away their dignity. And that's the tragic thing of relating to a person negatively because of the color of their skin or what side of town they live on and all that kind of stuff. Yes, everybody does not have the same position, but everybody has equal value before God. Equal value. Boaz told Ruth in Ruth 2:11, he says, as she was gleaning his field, working for him, basically.
She was gleaning his field. He says, the Lord bless you, Ruth. Because you are favored of the Lord, because you're an honorable woman. He encouraged her and he blessed her, even though she was an employee. Of course then he married her, but that's another story.
Don't bully your employees.
Now still be the employer. It's not changing your position. It's not changing the fact that you have instructions, you have expectations, and they ought to be met by the employee. It doesn't change that. but still honor their person.
Do not strip them of their human dignity. just because they do not have your post. Expect the work. but don't strip them of their dignity. James chapter 5, we don't have to turn that now, talks about woe to you, rich.
who oppress your workers on the field. He says. For your judgment is coming swiftly. Finally, eighthly. Work must be done.
Equitably. Notice verse 9, there is no partiality with him. Titus 2, 9 and 10. God judges righteously. Do not make judgments.
Among your employees, because he's talking to the masters here. In an unequitable fashion. There is no partiality with God. In other words, if something is right, it's right for Joe and Jane and Butch. and Ralph.
If something is wrong, it is wrong for Ralph and Butch and Jane and Bill. It is right. Or it's wrong. if it's that kind of moral, ethical, or work performance issue. But don't say because I like Jack.
More than Bill. Even though Jack messed up like Bill, I'm not going to get on Jack like I get on Bill. He's saying be equitable. Don't play favorites when it comes to right and wrong.
Now, sure, you're going to like some people better than you like other people. He's not talking about liking. He's talking about partiality and treatment. Treat people equitably. He says.
Show no partiality, for there is no partiality with God. And just like God will judge our performance equitably, we ought to do the same. You say, how will this transform my job? Because I still hate going to work tomorrow. You probably said, Pastor, you don't help me out at all.
I thought you were going to give me a new job or something. That's the only thing that'll change me. You know why? Because the problem just might not be your job, the problem may be you. In your job.
Or the problem may be God is not free to give you another dog because he can't trust in the one you have now. Come on. Maybe he's not free to take you to the next level because you done made a mess of this level. Why should he promote you? when you're disrespectful to your supervisor now.
Why should he make you a supervisor? and expect people to honor you when you're not honoring the one who's over you. Your work can be transformed and made a heavenly experience. by you having a heavenly perspective. And when you're doing the right work for the right reason, You'll get the right results and God will give you the right reward.
Dr. Tony Evans on the benefits of bringing God with you to the workplace.
Well, as I mentioned earlier, today's message is part of Tony's 16-part series on Ephesians called Ordinary Holy: Finding God in the Mundane. It's available as our gift to you when you make a donation to help support the ministry of the alternative. You can receive it as an instant digital download as well as on CD or USB flash drive, bundled along with an added bonus, Dr. Evans' powerful book, Kingdom Living. Just visit tonyevans.org today to make your donation and request these resources.
Or call us at 1-800-800-3222. That's 1-800-800-3222 or online at tonyevans.org. Life may look ordinary on the outside, but there's a spiritual battle raging behind the scenes. Tomorrow, Dr. Evans unpacks what it means to stand strong in the face of invisible opposition.
Be sure to join us for that.
