A Sermon - The Ministry of Hospitality

A Sermon Delivered on 29 April 2012 at Oak Grove Community Church.

1.            Over the last couple of weeks, we have been focusing on a very important truth – Jesus Christ is the only hope.  He is our Lord and Savior.  One of the central confessions of the church is that Jesus is the true Lord.  And our hope is that one day the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, will return to earth and save those who have put their hope in him.  This proclamation is an essential teaching of the church. We have to remember that we are not only called to proclaim Jesus as Lord, ss the body of Christ, the church is called to be a living hope.  We have to remember that being a living hope is not only something that we are looking forward to, it is something that we are called to live out right now.  Being a living hope is actually a ministry.  We are called to be the ministry of hope to a world full of despair. 

2.            The Ministry of Presence – Last week, we began talking about what it looks like in every day life to be a living hope in this world.  The first way that we are a living hope is to be a ministry of presence.  God’s Word teaches that when Jesus Christ came to earth as a human, he came as “God with us.”  The very presence of God was in Jesus Christ.  The Bible also teaches that you and I are the temple of the Holy Spirit – the Comforter.  And the Bible teaches that we are called to be a ministry of the presence of God, to comfort one another and to be a ministry of the presence of God in our homes, in our neighborhood, and at our jobs.  When we are the living hope of presence, we bring hope to people in their most difficult seasons of life.

3.            Today, I want to talk about another facet of the church being a ministry of hope – the ministry of hospitality.  A very important virtue, but one that lacks the attention that it needs, is the virtue of hospitality.  In fact, God’s Word emphasizes it often.  I think that we often forget how important this is to God.

4.            The Greek word that is translated into English as “hospitality” is a compound word of two Greek words – philos and zenos.  You have probably heard the first word before – philos, which is simply “love.”  The second word, zenos, means “stranger or foreigner.”  When you put those two words together, you get “loving strangers” or “showing love to strangers in your midst.”  Hospitality is essentially making sure that strangers are treated with love and service.

4.            God has a lot to say about hospitality in the Bible.  I want to talk about these principles of hospitality.  The first principle is that Jesus is our example of hospitality.  If the ministry of presence is the first ministry that Jesus did as a human, the second is the ministry of hospitality.  In other words, Jesus Christ welcomed people to be with him.  He welcomed people from all walks of life.  He welcomed religious people and pagans.  He welcomed people who were wealthy and those that were poor.  He welcomed the righteous, and he welcomed sinners.  The reason that Jesus is our hope is that he welcomes us, not matter how we come to him.  Jesus welcomed the sinner.  Matthew 11:19 says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners.”’  Jesus welcomed sinners so much that the religious people lumped him in with them.  They called him a glutton and a drunkard.  But Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

            Over and over again, we see Jesus spending time with people that religious people would never associate with. 

5.            Hospitality is never mistreating a stranger.  Pride causes this. 

6.            Hospitality is not just being friendly.  It is something that you do.  It is taking care of the needs of others – Rom 12:13; Lev 25:35.

7.            Hospitality is an essential virtue of leadership in the church.  One of the qualifications for leadership in the church, and the wives of leaders in the church, is the virtue of hospitality.  Before a leader is chosen, they must already hospitable.  In other words, they look for strangers and go out of their way to make sure that a visitor or guest in their midst feels at home.  The Apostle Paul, when he was describing the essential characteristics of leadership in the Church in 1 Tim 3:2, said, “Now the overseer must be above, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable . . .”  Being a hospitable person is essential to being a good leader in the church. 

8.            I want to give you this last principle of hospitality, but I want to do this with an attitude of humility because I don’t want to come across as spiritually superior.  This last principle is one that should cause us pause and understand how important the virtue of hospitality is to our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Here is the principle:  On the Day of Judgment, we will be judged on how we treat the stranger.  Jesus will judge us on how hospitable we are.  Let’s look at Matt 25:31ff.:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  The king will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

There are two things I would like to take away from this passage of Scripture.  First, you get the sense that hospitality is much more that just being friendly.  Hospitality includes taking care of peoples’ needs.  Second, when you show hospitality to people, you are doing it to Jesus.  In a deeply spiritual way, you are serving Jesus when you go out of your way to love the stranger.  Let’s continue with this verse and see how Jesus views people that do not love the stranger:

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’  They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help?’ He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

9.            Paul says in Romans 12.13 to “Practice hospitality.”  What does that look like?  Let me give you some simple ways to practice hospitality at Oak Grove Community Church.  The first and most obvious way to show hospitality at Oak Grove Community Church is to smile! One of the chief complaints of people outside of the Christian faith is that we are judgmental people.  They say that we are known more for what we are against than what we are for.  Let’s face it, folks, we Christians can be sour people.  But of all the people of the world, we who have our hope in Jesus Christ, should be full of joy!  Paul says in Philippians 4:4 – 7, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything . . .”  Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Be joyful always…”  Yet, sometimes we walk in the door of the church sour. 

            I love what Carnegie said in his bestselling book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.  When I read that, I decided to try it.  So, I went out that day and smiled at the people I came in contact with.  I remember one person in particular.  I was in a convenience store and I was the third person in line.  It was obvious that the cashier was not having her best day.  At first, I thought I would look like an idiot and almost didn’t do it.  This lady did not look like she was in the mood.  But, when I walked up to the counter, I smiled as big as I could.  As soon as she saw me, she couldn’t help it.  She started smiling and was as nice as she could be to me.  It was amazing how her demeanor changed.  I practice this often.  It is amazing how people’s attitudes change when you simply smile. 

            It think that now would be a wonderful for us to practice right now.  I would like everyone to stand up.  I want you to go find someone you don’t know, stick out your hand, smile real big, and say, “Welcome to Oak Grove.”

            See how easy that was!  When people come to Oak Grove, I want them to experience the joy of the Lord.  The first thing that people should see from us is a big smile and a warm welcome.

10.            The second principle of hospitality is to go out of our way to make our guests feel at home.  In fact, real hospitality is when a guest comes into our church, it should be like a long lost friend is found.  We should be that excited.  By the time a guest leaves, they should feel like they have been in the presence of Jesus just by our conversation.  Let me show you what that should look like.  In Matthew 18:10, Jesus told this parable:

See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.  What do you think?  If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

            Just like Jesus is happy when the one sheep is found, we should treat our guests just like that shepherd.  As comfortable as we are with our friends, we need to leave our friends at church and go find the guest and welcome them just like we would a long lost friend.  

An Example of Lordship (1 Peter 5:1-4)

THE EXAMPLE OF LORDSHIP

Introduction

I would like to invite you to turn in your Bible with me to 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Main Introduction

            Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to serve under excellent leaders.  While I was in the Army, I served under highly intelligent and capable leaders.  In fact, as you can imagine, effective leadership in the military is essential in combat operations and emphasized daily.  For almost every rank that a person may achieve in the U.S. Army, there are schools to further develop the leader, whether officer or enlisted. 

            I have served under great leaders that went on to do great things in our military.  Over the past ten years, I have seen the men I worked with in the cavalry actually testifying in congressional hearings.  One of my former commanders went on to lead the Fifth Corps as commanding general into Iraq during the invasion of 2003. 

            We all want to serve under great leaders.  We want leaders that are proficient in their jobs.  We want leaders that look out for the well being of their subordinates. We want leaders that keep us informed.  We want leaders that have the know-how and courage to lead us in crisis situations.  We want those leaders that keep a level head during those crisis situations.  We all want to have a great leader.

            But, I have also had not-so-great leaders.  There have been those under which I have served that simply made life miserable for the troops.  It was obvious that they were motivated by something other than accomplishing the mission and the welfare and morale of the troops. 

            Not only do we want to have great leaders, we have a desire to be great leaders.  Leadership is a hot topic in most circles today.  Colleges and universities offer degrees in leadership with every imaginable specialization.  My bookshelf is bulging with books and manuals on leadership that I have received in military training, law enforcement training, and in my seminary education.  Philosophies on leadership are endless as academics and practitioners try to decide if leaders are made or born.

            The church is no exception.  Church leaders around the globe have recognized the need for effective leadership education all the way from denominational presbyteries to the highest levels of church governance.  When I was in seminary, there were entire blocks of instruction that was classified as “practical theology” that centered on leadership. 

            Actually, the Holy Bible has much to say about leadership – about how to lead and how not to lead.  For example, the Book of Proverbs is filled with leadership principles, both positive and negative.  We can look at the examples of leadership in Moses, King David, King Hezekiah, and the Apostles Peter and Paul. 

            As the gospel of Jesus Christ spread and the church begin to grow during the New Testament period, there were times of crisis that required excellent leadership.  The church found itself being persecuted. The church found itself being infiltrated by false teachers.  The church found itself struggling with sin in the membership.  The church found itself confronted with competing theologies about the Lord Jesus Christ.  These presented crises that demanded effective and timely leadership.  And the leaders of the first-century church looked to a single source as their model of how to direct the ministries of the church and handle the crises that they were facing – Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ gathered twelve young men and taught them God’s will on leadership in the church.  One of those young men, Peter, learned directly from the greatest leaders what it means to be a leader in the church. 

            Today, I want to focus on one of the leadership principles that Peter learned during the three years that he was with Jesus Christ on earth.  And, I want to show you how that leadership principle carried over to a crisis situation that the church was facing in the first century.  I want to show you how God wants the leaders of the church today to relate to the people that are under their care by following the examples of Jesus and, later, Peter.

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Peter 5:1-4).[1]

           

Sub-Introduction

            The Apostle Peter wrote this letter to several churches spread out over a large area during the first century.  These churches were in the Roman Empire and were experiencing real challenges in the culture in which they lived.  At the very least, they were struggling to “ . . . live for God in the midst of a society ignorant of the true God.  Because they were Christians, they were misunderstood and subjected to cruel treatment.”[2] At the worst, this letter may have been sent during the period of the first major persecutions of the Christians under the Roman Emperor Nero.  As a result, people were being influenced to compromise their faith and holiness to stop the intense pressure and mistreatment that they were experiencing. The Christians in these churches were in crisis and they needed real, godly direction and leadership. 

Peter’s audience for this letter was everyone in those churches, but he becomes very specific in chapter five and addresses the “elders” in the church – the leaders – because he knew that it was the elders that were critical to the spiritual well being of the saints in these churches.  Peter specifically challenges the elders in these churches with understanding healthy motivations for leadership in the church of Jesus Christ.  Today, I want to specifically address one of those motivations found in the passage that I just read and how it applies to anyone that is a leader in this church or any church.

Main Body

Explanation

            First, I want you to notice something in verse 2.  Peter establishes “ownership” of those that the elders are leading.  He says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care . . .”. Peter wanted the elders – the leaders – in those churches to understand that the saints in those churches did not belong to them.  They belonged to God.  These saints were not for their use and misuse.  These people were the children of God, and God had placed them under the elders’ care. 

Notice that he says “care,” not “control.”  Unfortunately, there are leaders in the church that seek to control people instead of care for people.  Controlling people is the result of taking ownership of something.  But when it is clearly established whom this flock belongs to, care versus control becomes very clear.  A person who owns something controls it.  The flock belongs to the Lord. The flock is under his control.  It is clear that Peter wants the elders to understand that the elders don’t own this flock.  God does.  And God has called leaders of the church to care for his flock.  You see, when you control something, the focus is on you and your needs.  When you care, the focus is on the needs of others.  Also, when you control, you are limiting.  When you care, you are facilitating growth. 

            The implication should be clear to all of us.  Peter is making it very clear that when you are not in control, when you do not own the flock, you are not the master.  But when you are caring for the flock that belongs to the Lord, that makes you a servant to the Lord and to his people.

            This should cause leaders in the church of Jesus Christ a moment of serious pause and consideration about what this means for all leaders.  If the flock, the church, does not belong to us but belongs to God and is under our care, not control, then we will one day give an account of the condition of the flock when the Lord returns.  This should directly affect our motivations in how we lead God’s people!  Our motivation should be to care for the flock, not control the flock.  We should always be asking these questions to remind us of whose flock this is and to hold ourselves accountable for how we lead: When Christ returns, in what condition will he find his flock? Will he find them healthy or malnourished and diseased?  Will he find them safe or harassed by the enemy?  In what condition will the Great Shepherd find the people that he loves when he returns?

            Because the elders are called to care for the flock instead of control the flock, Peter carries this principle further in verse 3: “ . . . not lording it over those entrusted to you . . .” The word Peter uses in the Greek text is katakurieuontes, which literally means “to lord it over someone, to domineer, to exercise complete control.”  The way the word is constructed in the Greek suggests that the action is unfavorable to the object.[3] In the New Testament, this word occurs four times and always has a negative force.  “It is characteristic of Gentile rulers to exercise their rule to their own advantage and contrary to the interests and well-being of the people.”[4]

            Where did Peter learn this principle?  From Jesus!  In Mark 10:42, Jesus said to the disciples, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  This is one of the most challenging and counter-intuitive principles of Christian leadership.  In the world’s system of leading, the idea is that people must be governed with a strong hand.  But in God’s kingdom, leadership that is the greatest is defined by downward mobility, not upward mobility.  The leaders in the church of Jesus Christ are not to lead as the world leads. We are called to lead as Jesus leads – by becoming a servant of the Great Shepherd and serving his flock.  But how do we do that?  How does Peter tell us what becoming servants to God’s flock looks like?

Illustration

            “Shepherds of God’s flock are not to lord it over the flock, but to prove to be examples.  They are to lead by their example.  This is graphically illustrated in the U.S. Army.  The symbol of the infantry (foot soldiers who do most of the front-line fighting) is a soldier with a rifle in one hand, helmet cocked, and head looking back behind him.  The rifle is pointing forward, the other arm is giving a ‘Come on ahead’ motion, and the leader is shouting back, ‘Follow me!’  This symbol illustrates leadership-by-example, as this soldier calls his men to follow him into the heart of the battle.”[5]

Application

            Peter says that instead of lording over God’s flock, the leader in the church should set the example.  The Greek word translated into English as “example” is tupos.  It is the word from which we get the English word “type.” In classical Greek, tupos referred first of all to a concrete object and then to the impression that it leaves in another object.  Figuratively, it means to leave a moral pattern.

For example, do you remember when you were a kid and played with Play-Doh?  If you take a quarter and press it into Play-Doh, the quarter leaves an impression of the face of the coin in the surface.  Tupos is both the coin and the impression that it leaves.

            So, the question is not whether you are leaving an impression in God’s flock.  The question is, “What impression are you leaving in God’s flock?”  Also, we need to be asking ourselves, “What should a godly, Christian leader be leaving in God’s flock?  What would that impression look like?  What ethical and moral pattern are you presenting to people and impressing on people?”

            To apply this principle to our lives, we should turn to Paul’s first letter to his protégé, Timothy.  In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul uses the same word, tupos, when instructing Timothy on his leadership of the churches in Ephesus: “ . . . set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.”  Let’s look at each of these impressions or examples that we should be leaving in God’s flock.

            First, God wants us to set the example in speech.  As leaders, one of our primary functions is to communicate.  We use our mouths a great deal.  The problem we run into is that the Bible teaches us that “We all sin more readily with our tongues than with any other part of our bodies.”[6]  In the Epistle of James, he says in chapter 3:6 and 8, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. [N]o man can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  Every word that comes from our mouths needs to be moderated by our brain before we say it.  As leaders, we need to gauge everything we say.  As Christian leaders, we should never be quick-tempered.  Also, one of the ways that we set the example is by godly speech.  Our words should never be crass or vulgar.  The example we set should be a Christ-like example of speech. 

            Second, God commands us to set the example in our lifestyle.  “ . . . All Christians are to imitate Christ, but those set aside [as leaders] are to live exemplary lives that serve to model, inspire, and encourage imitation and emulation of others.”[7]  Our lifestyle should be, “ . . . first and foremost, of holiness and uprightness.”[8]  The Apostle Paul teaches in Titus 1:7 – 8, “Since an overseer [in other words, a leader] is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.  Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.”  As God’s flock looks at our lives, they should be able to see very clearly what a devoted follower of Jesus Christ looks like.

            Third, God commands us to set the example in love.  “Love is the priority virtue, and it must be conspicuously present in the [leader’s] life.  It is not an option but an absolute necessity.”[9]  Paul teaches in Colossians 3:12 – 14, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”  As shepherds of God’s flock, we are to be the examples of what it means to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

            Fourth, God commands us to set the example of faith.  The first way that we set the example of faith is by standing firmly on the teachings of the faith, the total body of the objective truth of God’s Word.  As faithful leaders, we should set the example of what it means to stand firmly on the foundation of God’s Word and “ . . . to develop our understanding of it and its application to contemporary life.”[10]  Also, we are to be examples of what it means to “walk by faith and not by sight.”  By our actions and our commitments, we show people how to live lives with total trust in God. 

            Finally, God commands us to set the example by living a life of purity.  Purity is an essential aspect of our relationship with God.  There simply is no room for debate on this issue.  The Christian leader is called to be an example of faithfulness to his or her spouse and called to deliberately aim for sexual purity.[11]  In Paul’s teachings in both First Timothy and in Titus, Paul makes it abundantly clear that one of the primary characteristics and qualifications for leadership in the church is sexual purity.  We are called to set the example of what self-controlled and pure person looks like.

Conclusion

            The primary motivation for being a leader in the church is to care for God’s flock, not to control it.  The primary motivation for being a leader in the church is to serve God by taking care of the precious saints who have been entrusted to us until the Great Shepherd returns.  The Bible teaches us the primary way that we care for God’s flock – by being the example to the flock.  By being an example to the flock, we give them the example of lordship – what it looks like when Jesus is Lord of your life.  You are not the Lord.  You are the example of submitting to the Lordship of Christ.  In whatever ministry you may be involved, ask yourself, “Am I seeking to care for these that have been entrusted to me or am I trying to control them?”

            “General Eisenhower would demonstrate the art of leadership with a simple piece of string.  He’d put it on a table and say: ‘Pull it and it will follow wherever you wish.  Push it and it will go nowhere at all.  It’s just that way when it comes to leading people.  They need to follow a person who is leading by example.  At another time he said, ‘You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.’”[12]

           

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Green, Michael P., Eds. 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004.

Jones, L. Gregory, and Kevin R. Armstrong. Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping Faithful Christian Ministry. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006.

Plum III, Edwin A. Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, ed. Kenneth L. Barker and John R. Kohlenberger III. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Prime, Derek and Alistair Begg. On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004.

Rogers, Jr., Cleon L. and Cleon L. Rogers, III. The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Verbrugge, Verlyn, eds. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, Abridged. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.

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[1] Unless otherwise noted, all scripture citations are from the New International Version of the Holy Bible.

[2] Edwin A. Plum III, Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, ed. Kenneth L. Barker and John R. Kohlenberger III (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 1041.

[3] Cleon L. Rogers, Jr. and Cleon L. Rogers, III, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 578.

[4] Verlyn Verbrugge eds., The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis,  Abridged (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 325.

[5] Michael P. Green, eds. 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004), 216.

[6] Derek Prime and Alistair Begg, On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004), 39-40.

[7] L. Gregory Jones and Kevin R. Armstrong, Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping Faithful Christian Ministry (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006), 86.

[8] Prime and Gregg, 40. 

[9] Ibid., 42.

[10] Ibid., 43.

[11] Ibid., 44 – 45.

[12] Green, 216.

It should be obvious . . .

A sermon at Oak Grove Community Church on 17 July 2011.

Rev. Lee Reese, M.Div.

It should be obvious . . .

Matthew 5.13-16

Please turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew 5:13.

In their 2007 book entitled unChristian, David Kinnaman, who is the president of the Barna Group, and Gabe Lyons studied the perceptions of Christians held by those that are outside of the Christian faith.[1] They found six main perceptions that people have of Christians in the United States.

Hypocritical. First, outsiders consider us hypocritical – saying one thing and doing another – and they are skeptical of our morally superior attitudes. They say Christians pretend to be something unreal, conveying a polished image that is not accurate. Christians think the church is only a place for virtuous and morally pure people.

They also perceive us to be too focused on getting converts. Outsiders wonder if we genuinely care about them. They feel like targets rather than people. They question our motives when we try to help them get saved, despite the fact that many of them have already tried Jesus and experienced church before.

We are considered antihomosexual. Outsiders say that Christians are bigoted and show hatred for gays and lesbians. They say Christians are fixated on curing homosexuals and on leveraging political solutions against them.

They say we are sheltered. Christians are thought of as old-fashioned, boring and out of touch with reality. Outsiders say we do not respond to reality in appropriately complex ways, preferring simplistic solutions and answers. We are not willing to deal with the grit and grime of people’s everyday, messy lives.

Perceptions

We are too political. Another common perception of Christians is that we are overly motivated by a political agenda, that we promote and represent politically conservative interests and issues. Conservative Christians are often thought of as right-wingers.

And of course, we are judgmental. Outsiders think of Christians as quick to judge others. They say we are not honest about our attitudes and perspectives about other people. They doubt that we really love people as we say we do.

They seem to sum it up this way: those that are outside the Christian faith say that Christians are known more for what we are against rather than what we are for. In fact, many of the respondents and those interviewed by Kinnaman and Lyons believe that the way that Christians live their lives is not what Jesus had in mind.

I will be honest, when I read this book for my doctoral program, I became defensive and angry. But, it forced me to look objectively at myself, at Oak Grove Community Church, and at the Church of Jesus Christ. There were a lot of things that outsiders to the faith said that simply were not true or simply antagonistic remarks about Christians, but there were many things that outsiders said that hit their mark.

I am not naïve enough to believe that we can change everyone’s mind. But their findings should be a wake up call for American Christians. It should force us to always to examine our lives in light of the life of Jesus Christ and the challenge of God’s Word.

I want to say something that Kinnaman and Lyons would probably disagree with. God did not call us to change the perceptions of outsiders towards Christianity. He called us to be and do something in his kingdom. And we are going to briefly explore that today.

Would you please stand for the reading of God’s Word?

The purpose of today’s sermon is remind us of why we are hosting a Back to School outreach and vacation Bible school at Oak Grove. It is a reminder of what we are to be and do in the kingdom of God.

Again, we cannot change the perceptions of people. We can only change who we are, and our character, and what we do. We can only seek to bring ourselves completely under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and show the world what that looks like through our character and our actions, our good deeds, what it means to be children of God

So, what has God called us to be and do in the kingdom of God?

MAIN BODY

First, God has called us to the “salt of the earth.” In other words, the disciple of Jesus Christ should be known for his or her character.

We see that in verse 13 where Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth.”

Here, Jesus is talking about a state of being that produces the flavor that is desired. In previous verses, verses 1-12, Jesus explains what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in God’s kingdom in what we know as the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. He describes the “ . . . appropriate lifestyle of disciples.”[2]

Now, Jesus explains the effect that this lifestyle should have on this earth. You don’t eat just salt. Well, my son does to prove how cool he is, but the purpose of salt is not just the salt itself, it is the effect that salt has on something else. Verses 1-12 are the salt, verse 13 is the effect that it has on what it comes in contact with.

There are many uses of salt, but I think that the use that is in view here is its effect on flavor. It can be used as a preservative, a substance to treat wineskins, and it is used to slow fermentation in manure for fertilization. I’ll bet you never thought of yourself that way as a Christian before. But I think that the use that is in view here is its effect on flavor; salt enriches the flavor of a food.

And Jesus is comparing the character and nature of his disciples as enriching life on earth. It is our character, who we are, that adds value to those around us. You don’t have character unless it is affecting someone else; it is the effect that our character has on people around us that makes us salty. The character of the disciple of Jesus Christ should affect others.

How should it affect others? Our character, when we interact with others, should add value to others lives instead of tearing others down. Our character should edify those with whom we work. Our character should inspire others. Our character bear witness to the love of Christ in our lives. Our character should draw people towards Christ instead of repelling people away from Christ. Our character should lead people to ask questions about our faith, rather than lead people to hate the church.

Granted, there are principles and values that we should never bend on. It is absolutely true that there are some aspects of our character and our actions, there are values and principles by which we live, that people in the world simply cannot accept. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:20-25:

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s wisdom.

The reality is that when we preach and live Christ crucified, we are living foolishly according to “wisdom” of this world. There are truths on which we stand that the world simply will not accept. But even if the world does not accept it, it is not us they are rejecting, but it is Christ. It is not us they hate, it is Christ in us. God has called us to be a salt to this world and have an effect on this world regardless of their perceptions.

We are called to live lives that are full of holiness, righteousness, and redemption. We are called to be people of character, and that character of Christ in us will have a profound, spiritual effect on those we come in contact with.

Paul put it this way when he was encouraging his young protégé, Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12. He says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.” The Greek word that is here is translated “example” is an interesting word. The word is tupos, where we get our word “type.” Tupos is thought of as an object and the impression that an object leaves. Do you remember when you were a kid and had a tub of play-doh? You could take a coin and press it into the pla-doh and it would leave and impression of the coin in the play-doh. Tupos is both the coin and the impression that it leaves. It leaves an example of what the coin is. The coin has an effect on the play-doh and the play-doh is an example of what the coin is. What kind of impression or example are you leaving on people by the character that you display? Is it full of the flavor of the kingdom of God or is it something else?

Jesus says in verse 14, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid.” In other words, “A disciple [of Jesus Christ] should be as obvious as a city set on a hill . . .”[3] When it is dark outside, and someone turns on a flashlight, it is obvious where the light is coming from. For the people in our world, it should be obvious that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. It should be obvious through our speech, our lifestyles, how we love, through our faith in Jesus Christ, and purity.

But what if we aren’t people of good character? If we are not people of character, then our witness of Christ is worthless. In fact, Jesus says that “ . . . if [your] salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” “Jesus . . . explains that a ‘disciple’ who does not live this lifestyle of the kingdom is worth about as much as tasteless salt or invisible light – nothing.”[4] Theologian Craig Keener said it this way: “Nominal disciples who do not live a life of discipleship will be ‘thrown out and trampled underfoot.’”[5] A person who calls himself or herself a disciple, but has not character, according to Jesus, is useless in the Kingdom of God.

Transition: The disciple of Jesus Christ should be known for his or her good character. He or she should be known for the effect that he or she has on others in a Christ-like way. It should be obvious that we as individual Christians and as a church that we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ. How does Jesus tell us the primary way that we should show our character as disciples of Jesus Christ?

A man once said, “One can acquire everything in solitude -- except character” (Stendhal in "Fragments, I", Christianity Today, November 22, 1993, p. 37.) In other words, character cannot be developed merely in our private lives. It can only be developed in our relationship, both inside and outside the church. Jesus teaches us here how our character is truly displayed – as a light to the world.

Second, Jesus calls us to be a light to the world. The disciple’s character should best be recognized and developed in his or her good works.

Jesus is calling his church to be a light to the nations. We see this in verses 15-16: “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives lift to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Jesus begins this passage by explaining the pointlessness of having good character and not doing something with it. It is a contradiction to say that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and not do good deeds. It is a contradiction to say that you have been born again and not do good deeds or works. In the same way that it would be silly to light a lamp and then place it under a bowl, it is silly to call ourselves the church of Jesus Christ and simply exist for ourselves.

In fact, Jesus is teaching that a person with character will do good works. He says that character is always revealed in action, like a light that illuminates an entire house. And it will have an effect on everyone that sees that light.

I have heard all of my life the cliché “faith in action.” I have stopped saying that. I believe that faith is action! Jesus is saying that it is preposterous to say you have faith and then hide it. It is ridiculous to say we have faith and then hid it in our church on Sunday mornings. When someone has faith, it is their character to do good works in the whole house. In other words, if we say we have faith and only people in the church see it, it is the same as hiding a lamp under a bowl.

James said it this way in James 2:14-22:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did [emphasis added] (James 2:14-22).

He goes on to say in verse 26: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

CONCLUSION

Why are we doing what we are doing today? Because it is the character of the disciple of Jesus Christ to show the love of Christ to our community through good deeds, in this case, meeting a physical need – a backpack for students. We do this because this is who we are. It is our vision at Oak Grove to be outwardly focused. It is our vision to not just exist for ourselves. It is our vision to be a light to the world. But there is one more goal that we are striving for more than character, more that deeds, which if not put in the right perspective can be self serving. It is found in verse 16: “ . . . that they may . . . praise your Father in heaven.” Our ultimate goal is that people give their lives to the Lord and worship him. Our goal is the glory of God, not the glory of man. It is to bring praise to our King, or Lord, or Savior.

At Oak Grove, we want to be know for what we are for rather than for what we are against. We want to be known for good works – not to be saved, but because we are saved. Not as the root of our salvation but the fruit of our salvation. But, more than that, we want to be known as the people of God who give glory to God in all that we do.

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[1] David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity . . . and Why it Matters (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007).

[2] Craig. S. Keener, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999), 172.

[3] Ibid., 173.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

Take This Job and LOVE It! Colossians 3:22 - 4:1

TAKE THIS JOB AND LOVE IT!

THE ESSENTIALS FOR A GODLY EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER

COLOSSIANS 3.22 – 4.1

INTRODUCTION

PRE-INTRODUCTION

I want to remind everyone about our upcoming anniversary service next Sunday, December 12^th at 10:45 AM. It is important to have an anniversary service to remind us of God’s faithfulness to us and the vision of this church. We are excited that we will have as our guest speaker Dr. Ed Lee, the Vice-President of Academic Affairs for Southeastern University. After the service, we will be having a reception in the common area downstairs. I want to challenge you to bring a couple of friends with you! I am brining several with me to church to hear Dr. Lee preach and to celebrate with us.

MAIN INTRODUCTION

Please turn with me to Colossians 3.22-4.1.

Have you ever had a really bad job or been assigned to a department that was just drudgery? Have you ever felt overworked, over-regulated, under-leisured, under-benefited? Take heart. This notice was found in the ruins of a London office building. It was dated 1852.

1. This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.

2. Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colors, nor will they wear hose unless in good repair.

3. Overshoes and topcoats may not be worn in the office, but neck scarves and headwear may be worn in inclement weather.

4. A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring four pounds of coal each day during the cold weather.

5. No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from the supervisor.

6. No talking is allowed during business hours.

7. The craving for tobacco, wine, or spirits is a human weakness, and as such is forbidden to all members of the clerical staff. [Well, I think that’s good business.]

8. Now that the hours of business have been drastically reduced, the partaking of food is allowed between 11:30 and noon, but work will not on any account cease.

9. Members of the clerical staff will provide their own pens. A new sharpener is available on application to the supervisor.

10. The supervisor will nominate a senior clerk to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office. All boys and juniors will report to him 40 minutes before prayers and will remain after closing hours for similar work. Brushes, brooms, scrubber, and soap are provided by the owners.

11. The owners recognize the generosity of the new labor laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions.

How would you like to work there?! Or maybe you’ve had a boss that you just didn’t connect with.

Once, while I was in the Army, I had a new section leader that was awful. This staff sergeant had been in the Army for 18 years but had not worked in our job specialty for 16 of those eighteen years. I think he was trying to prove to us who had been in the job for years that he was competent at our expense. Without question, this was the worst supervisor that I have ever had. Man, that was miserable. And, I have to admit that I wasn’t a really good employee during my time in that section. In fact, I went to the commanding officer and begged to be moved to the arms room. Thank God, he moved me.

Have you ever had a bad boss that really didn’t know their job? You know the ones that I am talking about. They are completely out of touch with what’s really supposed to be done. Or they don’t listen to you at all. When you are trying to talk to them, they are fiddling with their Blackberry. Or they constantly interrupt you to make their points. They roll their eyes and get impatient – unless they are the one talking.

Then there are the bosses that are so closed minded that there is no room for discussion. There is no room for differing options. They are all-knowing because they are so gifted and accomplished.

Then you’ve got the boss that does not maintain any type of discipline. All of the workers come and go as they please, living according to their own rules. No one knows who is where or doing what and chaos rules. I think it’s because these kinds of bosses have a huge fear of rejection and want to be everyone’s buddy. They never set rules and hold people accountable.

Or how about when they blindside you! Ahhhhh… There’s nothing like a surprise, is there? There’s nothing like getting singled out in public or getting ambushed in a performance evaluation.

But, before we get down on bosses too much, let’s take a jab at us employees.

It’s amazing to me how we as employees can come up with the most amazing physical disorders to get out of work. Sometimes I think that WebMD is to help us get out of work.

“Hey, uh, boss? I know we have a mandatory staff meeting today, but I have all the symptoms of medio – lacto – itis. I know, right, I’ve never heard of it either? Right, I think it’s only a 24 hour thing. Yeah, yeah, I should be good fort the company picnic on Saturday, though. Yeah, will you email me the powerpoints, though. I’ll study them so I can get ahead.”

Click.

“Yeah, Bill? He bought it! I’m good for that 10:00 tee time!”

In our work culture, it’s like the highest virtue is our ability to snow the boss. We’ve made it into an art form, really. The only thing that a boss can depend on is some people’s undependability, dependably to be in a foul mood, complaining or incompetent. The only time that they work is when the boss is on the work floor. And the problem is these people call themselves “Christians.”

Did you know that God is very interest in work? Did you know that God pays close attention to not only the type of work that you do, but also how you do your work? In Genesis, God created humanity with a purpose and part of that purpose is for meaningful and manageable work. There is something very important that you need to understand about work. God gave humanity the calling to work before the fall. People are wrong when they think that work is the result of the fall. Incorrect. Work was part of God’s plan for humanity before Adam and Eve disobeyed. Our work became cursed because of the fall. God cares about and pays close attention to your work and your work ethic – for both the employee and the employer. Whether you are a business owner, a shift supervisor, or the low person on the totem pole, God pays attention to the employee-employer relationship.

What are God’s expectations for the Christian employee and employer? In other words, what are the essentials for a strong Christian work ethic?

The essential Christian work ethic for Christians is an obedient, hard-working employee, and a fair and just supervisor or employer.

Please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

SUB-INTRODUCTION

Let me give you a little background on the historical context of this verse.

In the Apostle Paul’s world, slavery was a basic element in ancient society. Most of the work was done by slaves. It is estimated that one in five citizens in the Roman empire were slaves.

There were several reasons why a person would become a slave during the first century. It could come about a from being a prisoner of war, piracy, the exposure of a child, the sale of a child or yourself into slavery to pay off a debt, or by birth to a slave mother, or condemnations by law courts. A person acquired slaves by purchase from slave dealers, by inheritance, or by home breeding because a child tool the status of the mother.

The legal status of a slave was that of a “thing.” One ancient document called a Roman slaves “a living tool and the tool a lifeless slave.” The slave had no legal rights and was subject to the absolute power of the master. The Greeks defined characteristics of freedom, which slaves did not have: (1) the right to be his own representative in legal matters; (2) protection from illegal seizure; (3) to work where he pleased; (4) the freedom of movement.

The work of the slave covered the entire gamut of activities in the ancient world, with few exceptions. Their circumstances varied all the way from the privileged imperial slaves to the convicts sentenced to the mines.

I’m pretty sure that some of you are thinking right now, “I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with current events, but slavery is abolished in the U.S. It’s not a reality in our lives, so how does this apply to us?”

One of the principles of biblical interpretation is that the contemporary application comes from a passage’s implications. I submit that the same Christian virtues that applied to the labor force and their masters in the first century Greco-Roman world apply the labor force and employers today. The relevance for us today lies in the relationship between employees and employers. And in the context of relationships, there are principles of a godly work ethic for both employees and employers.

Over the past few weeks, Paul has been talking about some of the great Christian virtues. Now, Paul applies those virtues to the work force. Paul is going to first instruct the employee and then the supervisor or employer.

MAIN BODY

A CHRISTIAN EMPLOYEE FOLLOWS INSTRUCTIONS

The first essential work ethic for a Christian employee is God want expects us to follow instructions. Paul says in verse 22, “Slaves obey your earthly masters in everything.” In our culture today, Paul would say, “Employees, you need meticulously follow the instructions that your boss gives you.” This command is also for middle management or anyone that has a leader over you. The reason he specifically says “earthly” is because in God’s eyes, God expects you to follow the instructions your boss gives you just like you would obey the Lord Himself. The Christian employee should obey in everything. In other words, you should be very conscientious to listen to the instructions that our supervisors give us and be meticulous bout following those instructions. That means lawful orders and standard operating procedure and safety procedures.

I know that I have been in job situations where I couldn’t understand why the boss gave certain instructions. To me, they just didn’t make sense. And, I’m sure when as a non-commissioned office in the Army, a police sergeant, and as a pastor, those that I have led have looked at me and said, “What is this guy thinking?” Even if it’s not the way you would have done it, the fundamental ethics of a Christian employee is to do it without question.

Here’s a simple principle to guide you when you disagree with the instructions you have been given. Do it first, ask “why” after you have followed the instructions with respect and humility. Get the boss alone and make suggestions based on what you have learned. After you have done your work, offer suggestions that will make systems more profitable for the company. If you question them before and criticize or complain about their directives, you are challenging their lawful authority and being insubordinate.

Paul also tells us when we should obey. We don’t obey just when the boss is looking. The essential Christian work ethic says that you can be trusted to follow instructions without the boss having to look over your shoulder all the time to make sure that you are doing what you should be doing,

And, we don’t obey just to gain favor. Look, we all want to be on the boss’s good side and have favor with the leadership in our workplace. But, we don’t obey just to be a “kiss-up” or get an unfair advantage in the company. Paul tells us the true motivations for our obedience at work.

We follow instructions and obey our bosses with a sincere heart. Of course we want favor with our bosses, but for it to be a blessing to God, it must come from a sincere heart. When we have a sincere heart, our goal is to bless God and to bless our boss! We want to bless those that have blessed us with a job. A sincere heart is thankful that God has given us this job and we want to give thanks to God by being an obedient employee.

The other motivation for us to follow instructions and obey our bosses out of reverence for the Lord. Obedience in your job should be a direction reflection of your reverence and fear of for the Sovereign Lord. We obey our boss because we fear the Lord. Paul makes this very important spiritual connection with our work and God. God is very concerned about how you do your job – the way that your company wants it done. You will not experience God’s favor if you stay out of favor with your boss because you refuse to obey.

The commitment to following instructions is an essential of a good, Christian work ethic.

A CHRISTIAN EMPLOYEE WORKS HARD

The second essential virtue of a godly employee is to put all of our effort into our work. We put all of our energy into our work. You’ve heard the old saying, “Put in 110%.” That’s exactly what God wants out of us. Even in the menial tasks that we hate to do and bore us to tears, the strong Christian work ethic says, “I am going to work hard at whatever my task is.” That’s why Paul says, “In whatever you do…” – even in the terrible tasks. In every job, there are tasks that you just hate to do.

I remember when I was a police officer, there was a job that I did not like doing – school crossing. At the end of the school day, I would have to go stand out in the pouring rain and direct traffic at the entrance of the high school. It was a monotonous job that kept me from what I really loved doing – running radar. Ooooo, I loved running radar. I used to gripe about the school crossing and complain that they should put in a traffic light there. Then, one day I found out why it is so important to have an officer on post there and to take it seriously. There was a terrible car wreck at that intersection where I had to pull a woman who was crushed under the dashboard of that car. Thankfully, I wasn’t on post that day. I realized how important that job was and had a change of heart about that job. I took that job very seriously after that.

We should put all of our energy into our work just like Jesus is our supervisor. Once again, there is a spiritual connection for the believer. We are called as followers of Jesus Christ to work in our jobs just as if Jesus Christ was our direct supervisor. Paul makes this principle explicit when he says in verse 24, “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Here’s a great way to remember how hard we are working. At work, ask yourself, “If Jesus were standing here right now, would he be blessed or disappointed in the effort and attitude that I am putting into my work?”

According to this principle, the Christian employee is really working for Jesus! We are working for Jesus, not men! In God’s eyes, we are working for the Lord.

Our motivation should be an eternal motivation to work. Paul says that the hardworking, obedient Christian employee gets an eternal reward. You see, in the first century, the slave was a “thing” not a family member and was not going to get an inheritance. Paul was teaching the slave that his inheritance would come from God and it would be an eternal inheritance. In our society, we can get so focused on what’s happening in the here and now that we will act unethically to get ahead so we will have a huge retirement. I think Paul would say to us, “You need to be an ethical Christian employee and God is watching you. He will reward those hard workers with an eternal reward.”

That is the hope that we have in Christ – an inheritance with the saints!

Then, Paul raps up his talk to the Christian employee with a warning that we need to pay attention to. He says, “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” There is a question here as to whether Paul is talking about in the afterlife or punished now. I submit that one of the reasons that people have such bad experiences at work is that they don’t obey and they don’t work hard. And they can’t figure out why there is no satisfaction in their work and they are miserable. They can’t get ahead. They are not receiving the blessings that the Bible talks about. The reason is they are being repaid by God for their work ethic! They are not blessed because they are not blessing God and they are not blessing their boss because they don’t follow instructions and they don’t work hard. They don’t love their job because they are not loving God with all their heart, with all their mind, and with all their strength.

A Christian employee works hard and God will bless you for it! Now, we need to talk to the Christian boss.

A FAIR AND JUST EMPLOYER

One of the essentials of the Christian work ethic is a fair and just employer. This includes anyone that is entrusted with supervising other people in any capacity.

A Christian employer provides for his employees. The Christian employer or supervisor understands that in God’s eyes, you job description includes a sincere concern for the needs of your employees.

A Christian employer provides what is just and fair.

Our motivation for providing what is just and fair is that God is paying attention to how you treat your employees or subordinates. This ties in with what Paul said in

CONCLUSION

If you're into bumper-sticker philosophy, you've probably seen the axiom, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." For a vast portion of the workforce, that's the best reason they can muster for going to the job each day. According to one poll, only 43 percent of American office workers are satisfied with their jobs. In Japan, the figure dips to 17 percent. In the first century, Christian slaves had even less reason to be enthusiastic about their work. But Paul gave them a way to grasp a glimpse of glory amid the grind. He wanted them to "adorn the doctrine of God," that is, to show the beauty of their faith in Christ by how they work (Ti. 2:10).

A significant and often overlooked way that we serve God is in our everyday tasks at work. Martin Luther understood this when he wrote, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays -- not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."