Thursday, February 25, 2010

Your Work Matters to God, Part 34 of 45

TEXT: "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and with sincerity of heart just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one of you for whatever good you do, whether you are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him" (Ephesians 6:5-9).

IDEA: There is dignity to labor when we understand that our jobs are significant to God.

PURPOSE: To help people realize that secular work is as significant to God as religious work.

Have you ever heard of the "bull's-eye" theory of the will of God?

If you think of a bull's-eye theory, what occupations would most religious people put at the center?

Basic to that whole concept is that we think of some occupations as being more central to God's purposes than others.

I. People who have the bull's-eye theory of the will of God might be upset by what the apostle Paul writes to slaves living in the area of Ephesus. (See Ephesians 6:5-9 above.)

Paul tells slaves that in their work they are to do the will of God from the heart. What does that mean?

Does he imply that they were to be good Christians even though they didn't have crucial positions in the church? For example, they were not apostles or teachers who were clearly doing God's will in their positions.

Is Paul is applauding slavery as a way of life? See 1 Corinthians 7:17-24.