Work Work Work
Acts 18:1-3
For most Americans tomorrow is a holiday
Its Labor Day, & in the opinion of some, it is the most hypocritical of all of our holidays.
They say that if Labor Day is a celebration of the unique rights & freedoms that we, as workers, enjoy in our nation
That if we’re really thankful that we have jobs while some don’t
That if we’re really serious about labor being a blessing, then what we should do on Labor Day is go to work & tell the boss
"I’m going to work today, & I’m going to work for free, just for the joy of working."
But no, we’re not going to do that, are we?
Most of us will say, "I don’t want to work on Labor Day,
But I do expect to get paid for it anyway."
Maybe we’re not quite as dedicated to the celebration of labor as we thought.
So let me ask you a few questions
"Do you really like your job?
How many of you look forward to going to work on Monday mornings because you really miss seeing your boss?
How many of you miss your fellow workers so much that you can hardly wait to get back & see how they’re doing?"
Now if you answered "Yes" to any of those questions, then you’re in the minority.
Surveys reveal that 65% of American workers are unhappy with their jobs.
Many of them go to work simply because they have no other choice.
"I owe, I owe, so it’s off to work I go."
They would probably tell you that they are unhappy with what they do
Because it is the same old routine day after day
And their life seems to be a meaningless merry-go-round
With no real purpose to it.
Its kind of like Tennessee Ernie Ford sang, "You load 16 tons, & what do you get, another day older & deeper in debt."
Now this morning, I want to share with you what I believe will help you see our work as an exciting opportunity to serve God
One of our problems in life is that we divide everything into secular & spiritual categories.
We say that over here is the secular, & over there is the spiritual.
And we spend the best hours of every day in the secular world.
We say, "We’d really like to serve God, but we have to spend so much time on our secular job."
So we give God a few hours on Sunday morning.
Maybe another hour on Sunday night, & that’s about all for a lot of people.
The truth is God wants all of our time
This morning we are going to look at a very interesting couple in the N.T.
That devoted their time to their Lord
Some couples know how to make the most of life
They compliment each other
Capitalizing on each other’s strengths
And form an effective team
Their united efforts affect those around them
Aquila and Priscilla were such a couple
They are never mentioned separately in the Bible
In marriage and ministry they were together
Aquila and Priscilla met Paul in Corinth during his second missionary journey
They opened their home to Paul
And he joined them in tent making
That was their profession
But is was also their ministry
They used their home as a warm place for training and worship
Back in Rome, years later, they hosted one of the house churches that developed
We can learn a few things from Aquila and Priscilla
Things about what it means to labor for our Lord
READ ACTS 18:2-3
I. Work with your companions
Aquila and Priscilla quickly became close friends of Paul
Paul shared with them his wealth of spiritual wisdom
And they made the most of their spiritual education
They listened carefully to sermons and evaluated what they heard
When they heard a man named Apollos speak they were impressed by his ability
But realized that his information was not complete
But instead of open confrontation
The couple quietly took Apollos home and shared with him what he needed to know
You see, until then, Apollos had only John the Baptist’s message about Christ
He had only heard what John had said about Jesus
John and Apollos focused on repentance from sin, the first step
But the whole message is to repent from sin and then believe in Christ
Aquila and Priscilla told him about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection
And the reality of God’s indwelling of the Holy Spirit
He continued to preach powerfully
But now with the full story
This couple could have openly condemned Apollos’ incomplete message
But they chose to take him in
And do it in a loving manner
And show him the way of salvation
This is a great example to us today
When we see a brother that is in the wrong we tend to rebuke him publicly
Maybe not to his face, but even worse, behind his back
Talking bad about him to others
Do you know what so and so said or did?
What was he thinking?
Or maybe we shun this so called brother
Not wanting to have anything to do with him
The Bible is clear in this matter
Proverbs 27:5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.
Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
And 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
To edify is to improve the morals or knowledge of somebody
We are to rebuke our brother in love
Love should be our only motivation
Because when we do that we edify him
Lift him up, improve his knowledge
That is how a church operates properly together
We need to work together with our companions
1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
You may have a t-shirt or bumper sticker that says
“Doesn’t play well with others”
We as a church need to “play well with others”
And each member of this body is important
We all have work to do
I am no more a servant of God then you are
Some may have more responsibilities then others
But all of us have a responsibility
The Bible teaches us that all of us are ministers no matter what our job description or workplace may be
If you are a Christian, you are a minister of God
Each piece of this working machine we call Fairview is important
Let me tell you a story.
During a battle many years ago
A soldier was sent to deliver a message to the king.
The soldier’s horse lost a nail in one of the shoes
With that 1 nail gone, the shoe eventually fell off.
The horse eventually went lame.
The soldier was forced to walk.
The enemy came along
And the soldier couldn’t get away.
He was killed by the enemy.
The important message was lost.
The enemy eventually attacked the castle.
And the king lost his kingdom.
All because one horseshoe nail was lost!"
Folks...you never know what effect you might cause
when you fall out of formation here.
We all have work to do
And we must work with our companions
Secondly
II. Work with your gift
Aquila and Priscilla where tentmakers
Each Jewish boy learned a trade and tired to earn his living with it
This couple along with Paul, had been trained in tent making
Cutting and sewing the woven clothes of goat’s hair into tents
Now Paul as a tentmaker was able to go wherever God led him
Carrying his livelihood with him
Aquila and Priscilla did this as well
They were in Rome, Corinth and probably other places
Doing their job for the Lord
They took the skills they had and used them for the furtherance of His kingdom
I have a really good friend like this
He has my utmost respect
(Larry’s story) Galileans, O-Games, Hovercraft etc.
I want to tell him
Every pastor wants a church full of Larrys
People using their unique talents for God
Now none of you have probably built a hovercraft
But if we needed one I bet we could get together and build one
What is your unique talent?
How can you use your ambition, your knowledge, your personality for the Lord?
A lot of people get hung up on the spiritual gifts
Gift of wisdom
Knowledge
Prophecy
Teaching etc.
And it is true, God blesses us with spiritual gifts
But we have so many other gifts that we can use for God
Whatever your gift is, use it for the Lord
Maybe you have great organizational skills
God can use that
Management skills
God can use that
Carpentry skills
Electrician skills
Entertainment skills
Speaking or singing skills
Math skills
God can use that
Maybe you young men are really good at taking out the trash
Whatever you do, consider how your gift, your skills
Can be used to further the kingdom of God
Work with your gifts
Next we learn
III. Work with your Lord
These tentmakers worked in harsh conditions
Their hands were calloused and scared working with that tough leather all day, everyday
Tents were used to house soldiers
And so these tents may have been sold to the Roman Army
Talk about a tough boss
A Roman soldier wasn’t exactly the most refined gentlemen of the day
They were dirty and smelly
And the only thing dirtier than their dusty feet and uniform
Was their mouths
They were cruel, as evidenced at Jesus’ crucifixion
They were probably pretty rough customers
Aquila and Priscilla had to have good customer relations skills
They dealt with pagan clients all the time
But they kept their witness in tack
They continued to live a life for Christ
Working with their Lord
Eve though they had a tough, pagan boss
We need to do the same today
You say, "You don’t know where I work. You don’t know my boss.
You don’t know the kind of people I have to work with.
You don’t know the power struggles that go on, the flirtations, the cursing.
You don’t know the dirty stories that are told
The pornography that is passed around."
Ephesians 6:5-6 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; [6] Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Now that’s interesting. He’s saying
"Even though your boss is a two-legged monster who is about as pagan as anyone you’ve ever seen
Do your work for him as though you are doing it for Christ."
You say, "You don’t know my boss or you’d never suggest that.
I work in a pagan office in a pagan company.
There is no way that Christian principles will ever change that."
I want to take you back to the O.T. for a moment & remind you of Daniel.
You’ve heard about him ever since you were children in Sunday School.
Daniel was carried away captive to Babylon, taken from Jerusalem where he was surrounded by people who believed what he believed, who believed in one God.
But now he is in a totally pagan environment in Babylon. As time passed
King Nebuchadnezzar appointed him a government official.
He became a government bureaucrat.
Now if a lot of what we hear is true, if you want to get as far away from God as you can, become a government bureaucrat.
Serve in that kind of environment & you’ll be about as far away from God as you can possibly be.
But as Daniel worked in his government office
Sitting behind his government desk
Doing all his duties as a government bureaucrat, he was able to serve God.
And King Nebuchadnezzar respected his faithfulness to God as Daniel rose higher & higher among the leaders of the country.
But when King Nebuchadnezzar died
The Babylonian Empire began to disintegrate
And finally it was conquered by King Darius.
Once again Daniel’s outstanding qualities were recognized
And he was soon appointed one of the highest officials in all the land.
But there came a time when pressures were put on him to do things that were against God.
So Daniel said, "That’s enough.
That’s as far as I can go."
And King Darius, who had become his friend, was forced to have Daniel thrown into the lion’s den.
You know the story.
God shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel was unharmed.
The next morning, Darius came rushing to the lion’s den, expecting to find the mangled bones of Daniel.
Listen to what Darius says in vs. 20 of the 6th chapter of Daniel.
It says, "When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, `Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’"
Isn’t that interesting?
Daniel worked in a pagan environment.
He worked in a pagan office.
He worked for a pagan king.
And yet, the one thing that that pagan king knew about Daniel was that Daniel served God continually.
Do your fellow-workers know that?
Do you try to serve God continually in the environment of your work?
Have you seen yourself as a walking temple of God?
Have you been able to put God first where you work
So that your fellow workers know that you are trying to serve God?
We should view our secular jobs as if we are working for Christ
Hey I’ve worked in some pretty lousy jobs
I lasted a whole year in Little Rock working for some of the most un-Christian people I’ve ever met
I had to get out
They were negatively influencing me and my witness was suffering
We need to work for our Lord
Even in the workplace
We must remember two things:
What we do for the eyes of men and approval
brings only a temporary recognition and reward.
What we do for the Lord’s eyes and His approval
will never be forgotten!
I may forget or overlook your works
But you can remember what Hebrews 6:10 says:
"For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints."
God doesn’t require that we be successful.
But He does require that we be faithful
God’s approval is what we need to be focused on
Finally we must
IV. Work! Most of all
God expects us to work
God didn’t call anybody to be a pew warmer
He expects you to work
Work within the church
Work within the community
And work within your occupation
Everything we do should be done to the glory of God
Remember time isn’t divided into secular time and spiritual time
Its all God’s time
And our job to do while we are working in the world
Is to ultimately bring others to Christ
Not to bring people to church
While that is a great thing
Don’t get me wrong
It is so much more than getting someone to come to church
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian
Any more than going to Disney World makes you Mickey Mouse
Our goal is to bring people to Christ
But how can I do that at work?
Here is a four step process that I found
1. First of all, DON’T BRAG
Don’t go to work & brag about how wonderful your Christian life is
Don’t brag about how righteous you are & how much sin you have overcome
And how you used to drink & carouse & be unfaithful
But now you are a model husband or wife & you don’t drink anymore
Don’t brag
That will only turn them off
Self-righteousness has always been repulsive. It simply won’t work
Don’t brag
2. Secondly, DON’T NAG
Don’t carry a big Bible under your arm
And every time somebody cusses pull it out & say
"Look here. It says, `Thou shalt not swear.’"
Every time they brag about what a hangover they have, don’t pull it out & say,
"Look, it says, `All drunkards are going to hell.’"
Don’t do that
Because all you’re going to do is turn them away
You may think that you are being bold
No, you’re not being bold
You’re simply turning them away
3. So don’t brag, & don’t nag, and DON’T LAG
As a Christian it is important for you to do your work & do it well
To set an example for others
To be there on time, maybe even early
To do your job and maybe a little bit of their job if they’re falling behind
To help them out in any way you possibly can
If you’re lazy
If you’re slothful on the job, then that’s a poor testimony for the Lord
So do your job & do it well
As if you are doing it for Christ
4. Fourthly, DON’T SAG
Be really careful not to go back to your old way of life
Be really careful not to listen to their language & start to use it yourself
Be really careful not to see the bright lights of a far country & be enticed
Make sure you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus
Then, if you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus
If you don’t use their language
If you react in a different way to problems and difficulties that come
Sooner or later they will come up and say
"I notice you’re different
What has caused the difference?"
They will, because inside they’re hurting
Inside they’re looking for answers and solutions
And if you can mirror what Christ can do in a life
Sooner or later the door will swing open for you to share gently & tenderly your testimony with them
If you’ll just be there every day
Setting that solid consistent Christian example
We must do all to the glory of God
Speaking of that
We are about to embark on a tremendous project
Every building project that every church had delved into inevitably brings controversy, problems and troubles
It always has the potential for hurt feelings
Inappropriate actions and comments
These type of things also has the potential to seriously hurt and even kill the church
I’ve seen it in action
People’s feelings or pride are hurt and they leave the church
Or cause someone else to leave
I hope as we do this work we all remember why
All we do, even putting on a new roof should be done in order to glorify the Lord
We need to honor Him in every project we do
Not just in church service things
We can worship and honor our Lord just as much in a building project as we can in singing praise songs on Sunday morning
Just as much as we do while we give our offering or pray a closing prayer
If we all make an effort to keep our Lord first in everything we do
Nothing can tear us apart
As a body let us all keep our focus on the Lord
Most of all, He wants us to work
And work for Him
