WORK

Matthew 21:28-31 (KJV)

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

Thanksgiving day I received an email from someone who is going through a rough patch at work right now.

Apparently the company he works for has reorganized and he has a new manager over him –

He said that his new boss is:

·   Eager to make a good impression with his superiors and

·   Critical of my friend and his performance

It’s making work a miserable place to be these days.

I wonder,

Has anyone here ever gone though some rough days at work?

My friend asked me, “Is there anything that has helped you when in a crisis?”

Note number one; he understands that, even as a pastor, I go through periods of crisis.

In fact, I think pastors may go through more than their fair share of crises just so we are better equipped to be a help to others in their times of crisis.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (KJV)

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

The ministry is a supernatural place.

·   It is a supernatural calling

·   It provides supernatural enabling but

·   It brings with it supernatural struggles

My friend asked me, “Is there anything that has helped you when in a crisis?”

I wrote back to my friend just a few lines I prayed would be an immediate comfort and a platform for his own spiritual meditations.

But then, as I thought it over, I believe the Lord led me to prepare a message on the subject of work.

I. THE ORIGIN OF WORK

Genesis 3:17-19 (KJV)

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

I will never forget, just after I moved to Astoria to plant the new church there, a man visited our church who was a marine biologist.

Everything about that sounds interesting to me.

·   He was well educated

·   He had a secure job, working for N.O.A.A.[1]

·   He was well paid

·   He lived in one of the coolest houses in the area – it was former officers housing on what used to be Fort Stevens, in Warrenton

I thought this guy was “livin’ the dream” and told him so. His answer to me was, “It’s just like any job, under the curse.”

His answer reminds me of what I think are two misinterpretations of Genesis 3:17-19

A. Work is not a curse

Work was created under a curse, that is true, but work is not a curse.

I liken it to Genesis 2:17 (KJV)

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

That death is a result of the curse is true, but death is not a curse. Death is the door out of the sin nature.

If it had not been for the judgment of death mankind would have been eternally locked into a state of corruption, without any hope of rescue.

While work itself began as a result of the curse of sin, God’s purpose in giving us work is not to punish us.

Even the fact that work is difficult is meant for our good and not for evil.

I view struggles, especially in the workplace, as tools of the Lord to conform us into the image of His Son.

Romans 8:28-31 (KJV)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

The whole idea of being conformed or reshaped sounds:

·   Difficult

·   Hard and even

·   Painful

But can you agree with me that the end product is good?

It’s like Romans 5:3 (KJV)

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Who could ever say that tribulations are good?

Yet Paul said, “we glory in tribulations” why “knowing that tribulation worketh patience” and the Bible says we need patience.

The struggles of work is one of the most useful places for us to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

It should not be thought of as a bad thing, but a good one.

Misunderstanding two,

B. Men are to work, but not women

It is true that the specific curse in Genesis is to Adam and that Eve has her own very specific curse.

But this does not mean she doesn’t work.

1. For one, raising children is definitely work

The work of the mother is as close to the work of the pastor as I think there is.

·   She does her job 24/7

·   She carries the burdens of all of her children at the same time

·   She never stops thinking about the next meal and

·   She’s likely to kill anyone who messes with her “flock”

2. But secondly, the Bible praises the working woman

Proverbs 31:10-22 (KJV)

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

·   She works with her hands

·   She rises very early in the morning

·   She researches and buys properties

·   She strengthens her arms and legs[2]

·   She researches the value of goods

·   She makes clothing and

·   She provides for the poor

In today’s terms she is:

·   A laborer

·   A manufacturer

·   A real estate agent and

·   An import exporter

Lydia[3] is almost exactly what Proverbs 31 describes.

·   She is a business lady

·   She owns a home and

·   She has a household

There is no husband mentioned but there is no reason to assume she is unmarried.

Work is not a curse – for either the husband or the wife.

Secondly there is

II. THE COMMAND TO WORK

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (KJV)

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

2 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV)

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Work is nothing to try to get out of.

It is good for us to work, and work, even hard work, is honorable.

Think about that passage we began with Matthew 21:28-31 (KJV)

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

Jesus used a earthly story to teach a heavenly truth and the earthly story he used had to do with a father putting his sons to work.

There is a spiritual meaning that has to do with the Jews but for now consider

This is a father says to his son, “Go, work today.”

A good dad is going to do that!

He is going to give his children work to do.

·   He is going to create an environment where there is work for the children to do

·   He is going to instruct his children to work and

·   He is going to expect that they do their work

It’s the best gift we can give our children outside of an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour.

The reason it’s good to give your children work and expect them to do it?

To teach them that, in this world, they do not deserve anything but what they have earned.

Nobody deserves

·   A car or

·   A house or

·   To be happy

or anything else.

We earn them or we are to do without them.

That means to have a job, any job, is a blessing and not a curse.

Thirdly,

III. THE FRUIT OF WORK

Colossians 3:22-23 (KJV)

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Work –

We have to do it, but it is always to be seen as secondary to our Christian profession.

We work “as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

God places us in the work force

·   As a means to provide for ourselves and our families

·   As a tool to shape us into the image of Christ and

·   As a testimony for Jesus Christ

Paul’s experience in the shipwreck of Acts 27 is applicable.

Acts 27:10-14 (KJV)

… Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.

And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

·   Can you agree that Paul’s “work” was as an apostle to the Gentiles?

·   Can you also agree that it is because of his “work that he was arrested?

That means, then, that, while he was in that ship in the midst of the storm on the way to Rome, he was “on the clock.”

So there is Paul, on board a ship, in the middle of a storm, with perhaps more than 200 other people.[4]

He was there, in the same peril as everyone else, just so he who proclaim, “be of good cheer, for I believe God.”[5]

Who knows how many of those would have been lost if there had not been a Paul onboard to talk to God and tell them all what He had said?

Others in the storms of life need to see someone who believes God in the storm.

God scatters us in this workplace and that one like the sower scattered the seed:

·   Some of us go on the wayside

·   Some of us go into the stony ground

·   Some of us go into thorny ground and

·   Some of us get sown into good ground

But all of us need to be wherever we are or else the Word of God will have no chance to make a difference.

One last point and I will be done

IV. HOW TO HANDLE A WORK STORM

Acts 27:23-24 (KJV)

For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Paul was in the middle of a storm that was no his choosing. But

·   He knew God was there and

·   He had spoken to him

Practically speaking, the most vital tool I have personally used to navigate my storms has been my “daily visit with God”.

I spend some time every day, no exceptions,

·   Letting God speak to me through the Bible,

·   Speaking to Him in prayer and

·   Journaling my walk

It doesn’t have to be a long walk – each of us are capable of more or less time than others. But all of us can walk some time, every day with God – if we will.

Just make it something you can do and enjoy every day.

Don’t overwhelm yourself with expectations that can’t be consistently met.

A. Read some part of the Bible every day.

Meditate and think about it enough that it makes some sense to you

B. Let your prayers begin from what you learned in the Bible,

Talk to God about what he taught you before you start asking for things. And then,

C. Write down some little bit of all that,

Just to get it stuck in your head a little bit better.

It won’t make the storm go away, but

·   It will give you something to hold on to when the waves get roughest and

·   It will give you something to help others in the storm with you

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[1] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[2] Think “Rosie the Riveter.”

[3] Acts 16:14-15 (KJV)

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

[4] http://www.bible-history.com/past/pauls_ship_to_malta.html, accessed 11-25-17

[5] Acts 27:25 (KJV)

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.