Sunday
Morning Bible Study
September 10, 2006
Introduction
An ambitious, young executive is working late at corporate headquarters one
evening. As he comes out of his office about 8:00
PM he sees the Big Boss standing by the shredder in the hallway, a
piece of paper in his hand. “Do you know how to work this thing?” the older man
asks “My secretary’s gone home and I don’t know how to run it.” “Yes, sir,”
says the young executive, who efficiently turns on the machine, takes the paper
from the other man, and feeds it in. “Great,” says his boss, “I just need the
one copy...”
Sometimes it seems that we spend our whole lives at work. And sometimes we might mean well, but things
don’t always turn out right at work. Does
my relationship with Jesus actually affect my life at work?
:5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the
flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
bondservants – doulos – a
slave; A slave is a person who has to do what his master says. A slave is a
person who has no rights. A slave is a person works all day and earns nothing. In
other words, it’s just like work.
fear and trembling – Before you take this too far, keep in mind that
Paul used the same phrase to describe how the Corinthians treated Paul’s friend
Titus (2Cor. 7:15). Perhaps this might better
be called “respect”
sincerity – haplotes –
(from haplous, “single”) simplicity,
mental honesty
This is the quality that describes how we are to obey our bosses. Don’t be
a hypocrite. Don’t talk behind his/her back. Just do your job.
(1 Pet 2:18-25 NKJV) Servants,
be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle,
but also to the harsh. {19} For this is commendable, if because of conscience
toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. {20} For what credit is it
if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do
good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
Don’t just work hard for the nice boss.
Work hard for the jerk as well.
Peter says you don’t get any credit in heaven for putting up with a
difficult boss when you’ve been the one goofing up. But you do get credit in
heaven for doing the right thing and putting up with a jerk for a boss.
{21} For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
A few years ago there was this fad where Christians would wear these
bracelets with the initials “WWJD”, standing for “What would Jesus do?” That
phrase came from an old 19th century book called “In His Steps”, and
was a novel about a town where the people were challenged by their pastor to
always ask the question “What would Jesus do?” before making any decisions. In
the novel, all sorts of things changed in that town as people began to seek to
follow the Lord better.
That whole concept comes from this verse, that Jesus has set an example for
us that we should follow in His steps.
And in the context, Peter is talking about how servants are supposed to act
with their masters, how we are supposed to act at work.
Just what would Jesus do?
{22} "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His
mouth"; {23} who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He
suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges
righteously; {24} who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that
we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you
were healed. {25} For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned
to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
This is the example Peter lays out for us to follow when we are going
through a difficult time with the boss at work.
1. Watch your mouth (vs. 22,23)
2. Put your situation in God’s hands (vs. 23)
3. Lay down your life for others, even sinners (vs. 24)
Jesus laid down His life for us. He
died to pay for our sins.
When we learn self-sacrifice, it affects those around us.
Illustration
David was a good example for us to follow. He didn’t have a great boss. Saul
was jealous of David and kept throwing spears at David. Finally David had to
escape for his life, and his boss still tried to chase him down and kill him. Once
David was in a cave hiding and Saul ended up coming into the same cave to rest.
David’s men egged him on to kill Saul while he had the chance, but all David
could do was cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. His conscience wouldn’t let him
kill Saul. He put his situation into God’s hands, and God took care of Saul.
Do you have a bad boss? Have you been tempted to take a corner off their
robe? Have you been tempted to take it to the next level and lop their head
off? Be careful of what comes out of your mouth around the other employees. Put
the situation into God’s hands. And be willing to lay down your life for
others.
:6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart,
eyeservice – ophthalmodouleia (“eye”
+ “serve”) – service performed [only] under the boss’ eyes; people work hardest
when the boss is watching.
A tip for getting ahead in life: Do what’s right, even when nobody seems to
be watching. I think that’s a mark of
when you’ve really grown up.
men-pleasers – anthropareskos (“man”
+ “to please”) – studying to please
man
It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to catch the eye of your boss
and make him glad he hired you. But
that’s the wrong motivation.
When our motivation is to please people, we can fall into some bad traps.
(John 12:42-43 NKJV) Nevertheless even among the rulers many
believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest
they should be put out of the synagogue; {43} for they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God.
These rulers weren’t willing to admit they believed in Jesus because they
were more concerned about what people thought than what God thought.
Don’t do things just to kiss up to the boss.
heart – psuche – breath;
the soul. This is not the usual word for
“heart” (kardia) which was used in
verse 5. This word is seat of the
feelings, desires, affections
God’s desire is that we learn to do what the boss says, not just because
our mind tells us, but it comes from a little deeper inside, from a conviction
that it’s the right thing.
:7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
doing service – douleuo –
to be a slave; This word is related to the word “bondservants”, this is the
verb form. In other words, “with goodwill be a slave as to the Lord…”
Lesson
My real boss
Would you act the way you do, would you respond with the same complaints in
your heart, if Jesus was the one asking you to do what your boss has asked?
We don’t obey because of the boss, but because of Jesus.
Illustration
Howard Hendricks was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. He did a
lot of traveling and speaking and American Airlines made him kind of an
“inspector”, a person who would write critiques about his flights, and give the
reports to the managers. He told a story about one flight, where the stewardess
did a wonderful job. Rough weather, crying babies, drunk businessmen, nothing
stopped this gal from smiling and serving politely. At the end of the flight,
he stopped to talk to her, to tell her that he was going to write some good
things about her. She replied, “Well Mr. Hendricks, I don’t work for American
Airlines.” Seeing he was puzzled, she continued, “I’m a Christian and I work
for Jesus Christ.”
:8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from
the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
Lesson
God rewards faithfulness
There are going to be times when you struggle because you just wonder if
it’s worthy it. You wonder if it’s really that big of a deal that you obey your
boss. You wonder what good it will ever get you.
Illustration
Working TOO Hard
Bosses of a publishing firm are trying to work out why no one noticed that
one of their employees had been sitting dead at his desk for FIVE DAYS before
anyone asked if he was feeling okay. George
Turklebaum, 51, who had been employed as a proof-reader at a New
York firm for 30 years, had a heart attack in the
open-plan office he shared with 23 other workers. He quietly passed away on Monday, but nobody
noticed until Saturday morning when an office cleaner asked why he was still
working during the weekend. His boss
Elliot Wachiaski said: “George was always the
first guy in each morning and the last to leave at night, so no one found it
unusual that he was in the same position all that time and didn’t say anything.
“He was always absorbed in his work and
kept much to himself.” post mortem
examination revealed that he had been dead for five days after suffering a
coronary. Ironically, George was proofreading
manuscripts of medical textbooks when he died.
You may want to give your co-workers a nudge occasionally. And the moral
of the story: Don’t work too hard. Nobody notices anyway???
Well somebody is watching you. He’s taking notes. He may not give you
an annual review, but He will give you one at the end of your life.
Illustration
There’s a story about an old missionary couple coming home from spending
years in Africa.
They were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt who was
returning from a successful big-game safari.
As the ship pulled into the harbor, the crowds were lining the docks to
cheer on the President. But nobody was
waiting or cheering for the missionaries.
That night the man was so depressed that nobody seemed to care about how
they had spent their life. The man’s
wife said, “Why don’t you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?” A short
time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely
different. His wife asked, “Dear, what happened?” “The Lord settled it with me,”
he said. “I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this
tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I
finished, it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply
said, ‘But you’re not home yet!’” -- Ray Stedman, Talking to My Father
I also believe God’s rewards aren’t all at the end of this life.
(Luke 16:10-12 NKJV) "He
who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust
in what is least is unjust also in much. {11} "Therefore if you have not
been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true
riches? {12} "And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's,
who will give you what is your own?
I was eighteen years old when I sensed that God was calling me to be a
pastor. From that time on, I began to pursue a course for my life that would
lead me to being a pastor of a church. Initially, I started going the route of
a Baptist, going through college and seminary, and then applying at churches
and talking to denominational heads. But there came a day when Deb and I
decided we weren’t cut out for that particular denomination, and we threw all
of our experience and connections away and started going to Calvary Chapel of
Costa Mesa.
I remember going to Costa Mesa and
having Pastor Chuck suggest that I teach a Sunday School class. I had a hard
time with that. For one thing, I thought teaching a Sunday School class was
beneath me. For another thing, I was afraid that I’d get lost in the huge crowd
and that nobody would notice what I was doing and it wouldn’t be worth it. I
was thinking that Pastor Chuck wouldn’t see me, but I had forgotten that God
would see me. We eventually left Costa Mesa
and settled into a smaller church, Calvary Anaheim.
A few years later God used these verses from Luke to encourage me while we
were at Anaheim. I again was
wondering when my time would come, when I’d finally get to be a pastor. God
reminded me that He saw me. He kept track of what I did. And He rewards
faithfulness.
You may be wondering what good it is to do your job well. You may be
thinking that you’re going to save yourself for that one big job you’ve always
wanted. Don’t wait to do a good job. Be faithful now. God will see. God will
take care of you.
:9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening,
knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with
Him.
the same things – What same things are the masters supposed to be
doing?
Be serving God, not men. Serve Jesus
from the heart.
giving up threatening – Does this mean that a boss can’t do anything
to punish a bad employee?
Paul says to “give up threatening”, not “give up punishing”.
It’s not wrong to punish an offense. It’s not wrong to fire a bad employee.
Sometimes these are the very things that a person needs to wake up and get
their life together.
Just stop the empty threats.
your own Master also is in heaven – When you as a boss lose the
sense that you too will one day be accountable to God, you’re heading for
trouble.
Lesson
Impartiality
partiality –We might call it “playing favorites”.
James warns the church about playing favorites:
(James 2:1 NLT) My dear
brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious
Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?
We can get to thinking that one person is more important than another. We
might pay attention to the way people dress and treat people nicer if they look
nice or smell nice.
Look at some of the Bible stories – who do you think God was most fond of?
The story of Daniel – At one point he became Nebuchadnezzar’s right hand
man, when the Persians took over, he became Darius’ right hand man. But it
wasn’t always that way. There was a day when Daniel was just another of the
young captives hauled to Babylon
from the tiny insignificant nation of Judah.
It’s one thing to recognize greatness in a person who achieves a high position,
but what about when they’re just some young kid who thinks he has the answers?
The story of Joseph – Yes, Joseph became the number two man in all of Egypt.
But before that he was just the one of the inmates at the prison. And before
that he was just a servant of Potiphar. Was Joseph any less valuable to God
while he was just Potiphar’s servant? Of course not.
Be careful with how you handle your employees. What if you’ve got a Joseph
or a Daniel working as a mail clerk or a janitor?
It’s not what you think of the person that counts, it’s what God thinks
that counts. You will be judged by how you treated this person that God cares
about.
I think that some of our best witnessing can be done at work. Be the best employee. Be the best boss. And when people ask why you’re so good, tell
them who you really work for.