Friday, February 5, 2010

Your Work Matters to God, Part 20 of 45

TEXT: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything and do it, not only when their eye is on you, and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Those who do wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slave with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven" (Colossians 3:15-4:1).

IDEA: When we work, we can love God.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand how our love for God can be expressed through our work.

When we talk about loving God, what kind of picture comes to your mind?

I. One way we love God is the way we worship with other Christians.

In Colossians 3:15-16, the apostle Paul talks about our worship and how we are to benefit one another by the way we speak and the way we sing. One way we love God is by our worship.

Colossians 3:17 gives us a principle that whatever we do in word or deed, we are to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father.

II. We also love God in the way we relate to others in the family.

Then in Colossians 3:18-22, the apostle Paul spells out what that means in talking about the household relationships of husbands, wives, and children.

The relationships in a Christian family are governed by the relationship that husbands and wives and fathers and mothers and children have to the Lord.

III. Do you find it surprising that another way we show our love for God is in the motive and manner in which we do our work?

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything and do it, not only when their eye is on you, and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Those who do wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slave with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven" (Colossians 3:22-4:1).

The slave is to do his work with "reverence for the Lord." The apostle Paul says that three times.

He is saying that employees and employers show their love for God in the attitude in which they do their work.