111713_Christ-Centered Zones

 

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Summary

TITLE: Household of God: Christ-Centered Zones – Ephesians 6:5-13 AIM: The workplace is to be Christ-centered, like all other areas of life, but also like all areas, we need God’s help, which He provides. INTRO: Privileged to stay w/my brother Leonard when flew down to VA for my sister-in-law’s memorial service. Talked about some of the battles he had been going thru mentally, emotionally, spiritually – guilt, anger w/God, fear about future – all very normal for someone who lost his spouse. But God brought to mind a vision in his mind’s eye he had experience yrs before, when he was struggling w/some sort of opposition from other professed believers. The picture which came to his mind was of him sitting at a table, outdoors, w/Jesus standing behind him, His hand on Leonard’s shoulder. The table was set w/quite a feast. As Leonard looked up, he could see various creatures glaring at him & growling, snarling. But Jesus, glaring back at the enemies in front of them, said to Leonard, “Go ahead & eat, I won’t let them bother you.” The scripture that came to mind was, of course, Psalm 23:5 – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” Leonard knew that God was reassuring him that in the midst of his struggles concerning Alice’s death – the lies that Satan threw at him – he would be ok, because God was w/him & would protect him, help him. We need to understand the same thing in our everyday walk as followers of Christ. Talked last week about how every area of our lives is to be Christ-centered. But if that is to be so, if we are to live Christ-centered lives, we need to understand 2 things: 1)We will be opposed. Satan will throw everything w/in his arsenal at us. Jacob Hardy shared recently that he is reading C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, a book about a senior demon mentoring a junior demon, & all the ways he advising the junior to stir up trouble for the humans for whom he was responsible. The schemes of the devil are many & varied & he will use everything he has to cause us to stumble. So, we should also understand that 2)We need God’s help, which He graciously supplies. Theme: HofG – understanding that we in Christ are the HofG & learning what it means to be the HofG. As said last wk, members of God’s household should move seamlessly from one Christ-centered zone to another, to which should be added, we need God’s help to do so. Our faith is certainly to encompass all of our lives, whether we are alone or w/others. Much of the time we are interacting w/others, & want Christ to be Lord of all our relationships. The Christ-centered zones we numbered last week were: 1)Our personal Christian lives – following Christ when no one is looking; 2)Church lives – relationships we have w/in the body of Christ; 3)Marriages – husband/wife relationships; 4)Family – especially parent/child relationships, but other family relationships as well; & 5)The workplace. Last week we considered what Paul had to say about parent/child relationships – Eph.6:1-4. Today, let’s consider the workplace. Read from Eph.6:5-13, the latter part addressing the opposition we will face as we seek to live Christ-centered in every area of life [READ]. 1st of all we should be clear that the Bible doesn’t condone slavery. Paul was simply addressing this relationship between slaves/masters as a condition in the culture of his day. Certainly it had to be that both slaves & masters came to faith in Christ. Now what were they to do, how were they to live as bro/sis in Christ? I think the book of Philemon, to whom Paul wrote on behalf of an escaped slave who came to faith under Paul’s ministry in Rome, while he was in prison there (Paul), clearly suggests that Paul would admonish slave owners to set them free. In Isaiah 58:6, God makes clear His view: “Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” We should also note that some slavery in Paul’s day was indentured servanthood – someone owed a debt he couldn’t pay, so he sold himself to the one to whom he owed the debt, working for him w/out pay until the debt was erased. Then too, this word translated slave – oidouloi – can also be translated servant. So it could refer to someone who worked as a servant for wages he would receive. So then, it can apply to employees/laborers working for an employer/boss, and Paul’s exhortation applies as well to the workplace relationships we have. So he says, “Slaves (employees), obey your earthly masters (employers/bosses)… The workplace is to be a Christ-centered as far as it depends on you. May have non-Christian employer/boss, but you can honor Christ in the workplace by how you go about your work & the relationship you cultivate w/the one(s) for whom you work (as well as the ones w/whom you work). One way we are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (vs21) is to obey those in authority over you in the workplace. Paul said we’re to obey “w/fear & trembling,” that is w/respect & a dread of displeasing. And, we are to obediently do our work w/a sincere heart – putting our hearts into it, giving it all we have, just as we would obey Christ as Lord. We’re not just to work hard when the boss is looking – giving eye-service or being people pleasers – but we’re to work hard, do our best all the time, “as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” It’s God’s will that we work hard, do our best at whatever we do. That honors God. We should think of our work as being for God – “rendering service w/a good will as to the Lord & not to man…” We can do this knowing that we can never out-give God. If we work hard for Him, we “will receive back from the Lord” whatever good we do. Be careful not to put a dollar value on that, expecting God to get you a raise or make you a boss. He may indeed bless you in that way, but it also may be other ways & it may not be in the present, but the future. The promise is sure, however – God will bless you as you honor Him w/your work. And that should make us happy in our work. Not all jobs are fun, but Christians should approach their jobs w/thanksgiving that they have a job & w/earnest, because we’re serving God in what we do, & w/joy/ delight, because God will bless us as we honor Him. Pt is that Christians should be the best workers of all. Any employer should be delighted to hire a Christian because he/she knows they will get the very best effort & attitude. Next, Paul addressed masters/employers/ bosses. He said that they are to treat their slaves/employees that same way the employees are to treat them – that it, w/respect, kindness, sincerity. I’ve always thought that if employees worked hard, thinking of the good of the company, they would benefit in the process. The reverse is also true. If employers treat their employees well, consider their welfare & make the workplace conducive to good work, they & their company would benefit in the process. Some of you are employers/bosses – treat those who work for you well, because it’s the right thing to do, & God will bless you for it. Paul specifies “not threatening.” If an employer is always threatening an employee, wouldn’t that worker be more apt to be looking out for himself, & become a people-pleaser, doing eye-service? Are you really going to get the best out of someone if they’re always watching their back? The saying is certainly true that you get more flies w/honey than w/vinegar. Get more out of someone if you treat them well, build them up, than if you are always on them, threatening to fire/discipline, etc. Then Paul reminded masters (employers) that they had a Master as well. The Lord Jesus Christ was/is Master over them as well as the slaves (employees), & He was/is not partial to one over the other. He was saying, just as did to slaves/employees, that they were to carry out their business (supervision) as if they were doing it for the Lord, which they should have been doing. Business owners/bosses (have several among us), conduct your business, area of responsibility in a way that honors God & points to Christ. Again, the workplace is to be Christ-centered as far as it depends on you. Humbly submit to Christ & then to your employees by treating them well & helping them do their best. The bottom line is that Christian employers/bosses should be the best to work for, because they live out their faith in their business. Why? Because it points others to Jesus, makes Him real to those around us. One of the books that impacted my life as a young believer was In His Steps, by Charles Sheldon. If haven’t read it, should – classic. Set in late 1800’s in small town America. Folks are challenged 1st by a stranger & then by the pastor to not do anything w/in the next year w/out 1st asking, “What would Jesus do?” As the story played out you could see the transformation of individual lives but also businesses & the whole community. Businesses were operated w/Jesus in mind, to honor Him & do it His way. That’s the way you should operate your business & do your work. Now, it’s obvious to us all that this is much easier said than done, because people for whom & w/whom we work are not always easy to get along with. Unreal expectations, the grumbling spirit of the workplace, mistreatment by those over you, & certainly in many cases an un-Christ-like atmosphere, make it very difficult to do your work, run your business as unto Christ. It’s not impossible, but we definitely need God’s help. Certainly in every area of our lives we need God’s help. Paul seemed to shift his focus as he came to the conclusion of his epistle to the Ephesians, but not really. He realized that for the Ephesian believers & for us to live Christ-centered lives, personally, w/in the Church, in our marriages & families, in the workplace or wherever, we would need God’s help because of the spiritual battles that would ensue. To live Christ-centered lives, we need the armor of God. So he concluded this epistle w/warnings, but also w/great encouragement. He wrote, “Be strong in the Lord & in the strength of His might.” Note that he didn’t write simply “Be strong.” Our personal strength will not avail for most if not all that we face in our Christian walk. We need God’s strength & God’s might in all our relationships & all areas of our lives. If we’re going to get it right we need God’s help. That’s because we have an enemy who opposes us continually. Paul wrote, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The devil is a schemer, seeking to thwart God’s work. He doesn’t real care about us – his aim is God. But he can’t hurt God, nor stop what God is doing. So what he does is to come after us. Revelation 12:17 tells us that since the dragon (Satan) could not defeat the child (Jesus), he then went after the rest of the offspring of the woman (spiritual Israel/Church), to make war “on those who keep the commandments of God & hold to the testimony of Jesus.” That’s what Satan has been doing ever since Jesus died & rose again & ascended into heaven. And he seeks to disrupt in any way he can our personal lives, our relationships in the body, our marriages, our families, our lives in the world, the workplace or wherever. He seeks to destroy our witness & cause us to stumble in our relationship w/God. Paul continued to write, “For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood…” Your bro/sis in Christ, your spouse, your children/parents, your co-workers, your employer/employees – are not your enemy! They may certainly be used by the enemy, but they are not your enemy. The real enemies of our souls are spiritual. “…but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Satan has an army, all working to hinder, destroy God’s work, all against God & therefore against us. So, Paul continued, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” We’ll look closely at this armor which God has provided for us in weeks to come, but let me say briefly that all of it has to do w/truth – the truth of what God has done for us in Christ, who we are in Christ, God’s promises & His presence. God’s aim & our need is that we be able to stand. The urging of God thruout Scripture is that we should stand – stand firm, strong; stand & see His salvation; stand & watch Him work; stand & let God be God. To live Christ-centered lives we must stand up for Jesus & stand in Jesus. We need God’s help, & God is our help! We are the household of God!